Fire and Ice
by daddyslittleprincess123
Summary: Alex and Nate used to be best friends, but now hate each other. When Alex has to tutor Nate, he finds out her biggest secret. She has a child. After he tells everyone, will she forgive him? Will they be friends again? Maybe even more? Nalex and Smitchie.
1. Summary

**Fire and Ice**

**Summary**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**Okay, my wonderful readers. Here is a new story for y'all. It is another Wizards of Waverly Place and Camp Rock crossover. Except, this one is Nalex and Smitchie, NOT Smitchie and Dalex. I hope y'all enjoy it! I've been enjoying writing it. (:**

**STARTING SUMMARY:**

Alex Russo and Nate Grey used to be best friends, practically inseparable. But, that all changed when they entered Junior High and Nate wanted to be part of the popular crowd. In the process of becoming popular, he lost his friendship with Alex. Alex and her family moved away to Ohio, where Alex met Kevin.

Everything seemed to be going great. Alex thought that she was actually in love with Kevin after they had been dating for 2 years. When he asked her to sleep with him, though, she said no. She was only 15, and she wanted to wait until marriage. Unfortunately, that didn't work well with Kevin. He raped Alex, and she ended up pregnant.

Now, 3 years later, Alex is back in California and nobody else knows about her 3 year old daughter, Haylee.

But, what happens when Alex is assigned to tutor Nate everyday after school and he finds out about Haylee? What happens when he tells everyone else about her, too?

Will Alex let her guard down enough to fall in love again?

Will Alex and Nate get back to being best friends? Maybe even more than just best friends?

Even though they're as different as Fire and Ice?

**STARRING:**

**Selena Gomez as Alex Russo…**

"_I'm not Supergirl, and I'm not Spiderman. I'm only human, and I'm about to reach my breaking point! "_

**Nick Jonas as Nate Grey…**

"_I don't care what Alex wants. Someone hurt her, Shane. Someone hurt my best friend, and if she's not going to tell me what's wrong, then someone else is going to have to."_

**Demi Lovato as Mitchie Torres…**

_"What's wrong, Lex? You're smiling like you're happy, but your eyes are telling me otherwise." _

**Joe Jonas as Shane Grey…**

"_I'll always be your rock, Lexie. Always."_

**AND younger Selena Gomez as Haylee Russo…**

"_Mommy, have you ever been in wove wike Cinderella?" _

…**.**

**A/N: That's it, y'all. I hope you like it! I'm putting the first two chapters out tonight, and I'll put out more once I get some feedback. I love y'all! (:**

**- Jordan. (:**


	2. Strength

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 1: Strength**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**Here's the first episode. I hope y'all enjoy it! (:**

**Disclaimer: **I don't in any way own WOWP or Camp Rock, unfortunately.

**STARTING STORY:**

"Mommy, do you weally have to go?" 3 year old, Haylee Elle Russo, asked Alex for the 10th time that morning. Alex got down to little Haylee's level and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. Mommy really does have to go, though." Alex told the little girl. Tears filled little Haylee's eyes. It was another school day for Alex, and Haylee hated it. 18 year old, Alex Marie Russo is a senior, so she'll be graduating at the end of the year. For some reason, Haylee was having an especially hard time letting Alex go this morning.

"Dwon't you wove me, Mommy?" Haylee asked her, almost breaking Alex's heart. She kissed Haylee on the nose.

"Haybear, Momma loves you more than anything else in this world. Momma's gotta go to school so I can graduate and take care of you. Grandma will be here with you all day, though." Alex told her, pushing a strand of Haylee's curly brown hair behind her ear.

Alex still lives with her parents, Jerry and Teresa Russo. They both work at the SubStation, a sandwich shop that they own across the street. They watch Haylee for Alex while she's at school; they just take her over to the SubStation with them. Their lives pretty much revolve around the SubStation and all the money they earn. It wasn't like that before everything that happened to Alex a few years before, but it is now. It was like they were trying to block that part out of their minds. They felt guilty about what happened to Alex because they weren't there to protect her. They're not bad parents at all, but they're not always there for Alex or Mitchie to talk to. Alex was just glad to have Mitchie to talk to and make her feel better whenever she needed it, seeing as her parents didn't always have the time for her anymore.

Mitchie Torres and Alex Russo have been best friends since they were in diapers, literally. Mitchie had to move in with the Russo's when she was 8, because her parents died in a car accident and left Mr. and Mrs. Russo as her guardians. Alex pretty much considers Mitchie her sister, instead of just her best friend, now.

Mitchie isn't Alex's only sibling, though. She has an older brother, Justin, who's 21 years old. He lives about an hour away. He's in his Junior year at college. He's studying to be a Biology teacher.

Alex also has a younger brother, Max, who's 13 years old. He's in the 8th grade.

Alex also had an older sister, Isabella, or Bella for short. She would be 19 years old now. Bella passed away when Alex was 6. Alex was extremely close to Bella; they were like best friends.

See, one day the girls were outside playing around their swimming pool when Alex slipped and fell in. It was a deep swimming pool, and Alex didn't know how to swim. Bella screamed when she saw Alex fighting to keep her head above water. She screamed for her parents. When they didn't come, she looked in the house window. They were having yet another fight. So, Bella did the only thing she knew to do; she jumped in to save her little sister. Bella knew how to swim some; she was in the middle of swimming lessons, but she couldn't swim very well. She managed to get over to Alex and push her over to the edge of the pool, but that's when she hit her head hard on the side. She was knocked unconscious and started floating to the bottom. That's when Mr. and Mrs. Russo finally noticed what was going on outside and ran out there. Mrs. Russo pulled Alex out of the water and called 911 on her cell-phone while Mr. Russo jumped in and pulled Bella out. The ambulance arrived about 2 minutes later and took both girls to the hospital. Alex made it, but Bella's concussion was too severe. They put her on life support, but she had no brain activity. And after everyone said their goodbyes, they pulled the plug. Alex feels like it's her fault Bella died and wishes more than anything else in the world that she could just have one more minute with her sister.

"But, Gwandma no make gwilled cheese wike you, Momma." Haylee told Alex as more tears fell down her cheeks. Grilled cheese is Haylee's favorite food, and she loves it when Alex makes it for her. The fact that Alex always cuts the sandwich into the shape of a heart makes Haylee love it even more.

"Maybe not, sweetie. But, she does make the best macaroni and cheese I've ever eaten." Alex told Haylee, who started to look slightly happier.

"Gwandma make macawoni and cheese for me?" Haylee asked Alex hopefully, who smiled and wiped Haylee's tears away again.

"I'm sure she will, Haybear. All you have to do is ask her." Alex replied, making Haylee start to smile. Alex hugged her daughter one more time, then kissed her little nose again. Alex was standing back up just as she heard a contented sigh from the doorway. She looked over to see her mom standing there, leaning against the doorway with a cup of coffee in her hand. She was smiling at Alex and Haylee. Alex grinned at her mom, then walked over to her.

"Haylee's having a little trouble letting me go this morning. Can you try and keep her pretty occupied while I'm gone so she won't miss me too much?" Alex asked her mom, who nodded her head.

"I sure will, sweetie. I was actually planning a trip to the mall today. That should keep her pretty busy." Mrs. Russo said with a smile. Alex grinned and turned to Haylee.

"Did you hear that, Haybear? You're going to the mall with Grandma today!" Alex said enthusiastically to her daughter, whose eyes lit up excitedly. Alex giggled, then turned back to her mom.

"Did Mitchie already leave?" her mom asked her. Alex nodded.

"Yeah. She had an early rehearsal for the school musical this morning." Alex replied. Mrs. Russo chuckled slightly.

"Mitchie and her singing. She sure does love it, though." Mrs. Russo said with a smile. Alex grinned.

"Yeah, she does. I'm not surprised she got the lead part." Alex agreed. Her mom smiled.

"I'm not either. She's very talented." Mrs. Russo said with a smile. Alex nodded.

"She's the best." Alex agreed. Mrs. Russo looked at her and smiled.

"You know, you're pretty talented too, Alex. Isn't there a talent show coming up soon? You should try out!" Her mom suggested with a knowing smile. Alex blushed a bit, then looked down at her white diamond jelly watch.

Mrs. Russo was right; Alex was very talented. Music was a passion of hers. She knew how to play the guitar, and she even wrote some songs of her own. But, Alex didn't like to share her music in front of anyone else. A song she writes is just as private as a page of her diary. Music is like her escape away from everything bad that's happened to her. When she's down and depressed about everything that happened, she starts writing a new song, and all of her problems seem to vanish for a while.

"I'm sorry, but I probably need to get going. Thanks for watching Haylee. I'll be back at about 3:30 like usual today." Alex told Mrs. Russo in a hurry. Mrs. Russo nodded, deciding to give up on the music thing for a while.

"Alright. Have a good day." her mom told her with a smile. Alex smiled back, then squatted down in front of Haylee.

"Alright, now. Momma's gotta go. You be good for Grandma, okay?" Alex asked her. Haylee nodded.

"Otay, Mommy." Haylee replied. Alex smiled.

"That's my girl. I love you." Alex told her. Haylee smiled.

"I wove you too, Mommy." Haylee replied. Alex kissed her daughter's forehead before she stood up, grabbed her book bag, purse, and car keys. She then left the house, got into her car, and started towards her school.

Another thing you should know is that no one, besides the teachers, at Alex and Mitchie's school know about Haylee. Alex got pregnant with Haylee when she was 15, and they moved when she was 16, just a year after Haylee was born. So, no one else at her school knows about Haylee. Alex wasn't ashamed of Haylee; she just thought it would be best if she didn't tell anyone else. She's not really close to anyone besides Mitchie, anyways.

See, Alex didn't give her virginity away to Haylee's father. It was stolen from her. Haylee's father used to be a guy Alex trusted and was starting to actually love. His name was Kevin, and he was Alex's boyfriend for 2 years. Even though she thought she was falling in love with him, Alex told him that she wasn't ready for sex yet, and she thought he accepted her decision. She was wrong, though. He waited until her parents were away for a weekend on a business trip, and he broke in and raped her. He told her if she told the police he would do it again. There wasn't a single part of Alex that didn't believe he would do it again.

Alex told Mitchie what happened when she got home that day, and she told her parents when they got home from their business trip. They didn't press charges because Alex begged them not to. So, Kevin is still out there, and that thought terrifies Alex; not only for herself but for her daughter too. As far as Alex knows, Kevin doesn't even know that Haylee exists. Her intent is to keep it that way for as long as she possibly can.

Alex just recently stopped having the violent nightmares of when it happened. She still occasionally has nightmares, but not every single night like she used to. Sometimes, out of the blue, she just starts thinking about it and completely breaks down.

He ruined her life. The fearless Alex Russo that wasn't ever afraid of anything at all became afraid of men and trusting people and the dark and being home alone all because of him. Haylee was the only good thing that came out of it; Alex wouldn't trade her life with Haylee for anything.

Sighing, Alex pulled into the school parking lot and quickly parked her car. She more than anything wanted to be at home with her little girl right now instead of at school all day. But an education was the only way to support her daughter. Alex isn't planning to go to college because of the finances and because she'd be spending way too much time away from Haylee, but she does plan to graduate high school and get her diploma. From there, she'll probably have to work two jobs to support them. And, she always had Mitchie to help her.

Alex grabbed her keys, purse, and book bag before she got out of her car and locked the door behind her. She swung her white purse and lime-green book bag over her shoulder as she walked through the front doors of her high school. She was on her way to her locker, which happened to be right beside Mitchie's, when she bumped into someone and went crashing to the ground. Alex glanced up at whoever she ran into and groaned. It was the only person that could possibly make her day turn from good to absolutely terrible. Nate Grey.

Nate and Alex used to be best friends; from the time they were 5 until they were 12. They were practically inseparable, and they did everything together. But, that all changed when they were 12 years old, entering junior high for the first time. Nate wanted to be popular and wanted to be accepted by the most popular guys in school. He, willing to do anything to be popular. Unfortunately, to be popular he had to quit being friends with Alex. So, not only did he ditch their friendship, he began making fun of her every chance he got. At first, it completely crushed Alex. Of course she knew why he was treating her badly, but she thought their friendship was worth more than anything to him. Apparently, it wasn't.

Eventually, Alex just got used to it, and she started fighting back. Alex Russo wasn't about to get bullied and not stand up for herself. When she moved to Ohio a year later, and she didn't expect to have to ever see Nate again. And, she was perfectly fine with that. But after everything that happened with Kevin, she thought it would be best to move back to California. Their old house still hadn't sold, so they could just move back into it. But now that she's back, their fighting is worse than it's ever been before. They have, not one, but several fights everyday. Nate is the absolute last person Alex wants finding out about what Kevin did to her and about Haylee. She knows he'd tell everyone else at school and make her life miserable.

Nate looked down at Alex and began snickering. That made Alex furious. She quickly stood up, dusted her jeans off, and grabbed her bags. She glared at him.

"You need to watch where you're going, Russo!" Nate told her, still smirking.

"I need to watch where I'm going? You're the one who ran into me!" Alex retorted, fired up. Nate rolled his eyes at Alex and started to push past her.

"Move. I have to go see Sarah**(A/N: if your name is Sarah, I apologize. This character was made up in my head, not meant to offend anybody.)**." Nate told her. Alex laughed a sarcastic laugh.

"Sarah? What is she, your skank for this week?" Alex asked him, making him scowl at her. Nate has a reputation that says he picks a girl each week, makes them fall completely in love with him, sleeps with them, then dumps them the next day. Alex believes those rumors completely.

"Oh, you're just jealous you don't have a boyfriend. Which kind of surprises me, by the way. Aren't you that slutty type that has a different guy to sleep with every night?" Nate asked her, smirking when he saw her face fall. See, being called a slut didn't bother Alex very much before the rape. But now, she can't take being called a slut. In her mind, that's pushing things too far. That's what Kevin called her while he was attacking her. Tears filled Alex's eyes, and she pushed past Nate before he'd see her cry. She started towards her locker, ignoring Nate's stupid comments behind her and willing her tears not to fall.

She finally reached her locker, and forced a smile when she saw Mitchie standing there. Their lockers are right beside each other. Mitchie grinned at Alex and handed her a to-go coffee cup.

"Latte with extra whipped-cream for the bestie." Mitchie told Alex with a smile. Alex grinned and took a sip. That's when Mitchie noticed the hurt in Alex's eyes. Alex and Mitchie know each other so well that, even when they're smiling, they can still see when the other one is hurting.

"What's wrong, Lex? You're smiling like you're happy, but your eyes are telling me otherwise." Mitchie asked Alex, concerned. Alex sighed and opened her locker, knowing that she had to tell Mitchie what was going on. Mitchie and Alex made a pact when they were 7 years old that said they would always tell each other the complete truth, no matter what it was.

"I ran into Nate just a minute ago, and he called me...he called me a s-slut." Alex replied, forcing her tears to stay away.

"I'm gonna kill him! Where is he?" Mitchie asked Alex in anger. She knew how much being called a slut hurt Alex, and she was always willing to take up for her best friend. Alex sighed and grabbed Mitchie's arm, knowing good and well that Mitchie would actually find Nate and hurt him.

"You don't need to waste your time on him, Mitch. You do, however, need to give your bestest friend a hug and tell her that everything is gonna be okay." Alex told Mitchie, tears filling her eyes once again. Sometimes, all a girl needs is a hug and a little reassurance; the simple things. Mitchie looked at Alex sympathetically and pulled her into a tight hug. Alex took a deep breath, keeping her tears inside. She really didn't want to cry this morning.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Lexie. Everything's gonna be okay." Mitchie said to Alex. They pulled apart, and Alex managed a small smile.

"Thanks, Mitchie. Now, let's get to class before we're late." Alex told her, swinging her book bag and purse over her shoulder. Mitchie smiled and did the same. Both girls grabbed their lattes and started walking towards their first block class.

The girls have almost every class together this year. Their first block class today is Alex's favorite class, Algebra. Alex loves Algebra. She likes figuring out the answers to the problems. They're like puzzles to her. Plus, Mrs. Robbins, is Alex's absolute favorite teacher. She's the only teacher in the school that Alex really trusts, and she's the only teacher that knows how Haylee was created. When Alex is having a problem during the school day, instead of going to the counselor, Alex goes to Mrs. Robbins to talk.

Alex and Mitchie walked into the classroom and took their usual seats right next to each other in the front row. Alex was getting her lime green notebook out of her bag when Mitchie gasped suddenly. Alex turned to look at her weirdly.

"What's up, Mitch?" Alex asked her, wondering what had suddenly put the excited, happy look on her best friend's face.

"I forgot to tell you! Shane asked me out during rehearsal this morning! We're going out to dinner, then to walk around the park on Friday night!" Mitchie squealed excitedly. Alex's eyes widened in happy shock.

Shane Grey is Nate's brother. Even though they're related, Shane is nothing like Nate. Shane is actually Alex's closest guy friend. Back when she and Nate were best friends, she became pretty close to Shane too. He always considered Alex the little sister he never got. And he still watches over her, even now that she and Nate are at each other's throats constantly. Even though Shane is like her brother, she still hasn't told him about Haylee. He doesn't even know she was raped. Alex would've told him already, but talking about the afternoon Haylee was conceived practically kills her.

When Alex and Mitchie moved back a couple of years ago, Mitchie and Shane stared getting close. She was the one to convince him to sign up for the musical with her. It was like a dream come true when Mitchie and Shane both got the lead roles, which just happened to be in a relationship and share a kiss in the musical. Mitchie and Shane both obviously like each other as more than a friend, but they won't admit it. Alex thinks it's adorable to watch them together and see how happy they are. She trusts Shane, and she knows that he'd never hurt Mitchie. She thinks that they're just perfect for each other.

"Mitchie, that's amazing! I'm so happy for you!" Alex told her, smiling happily. Mitchie was smiling, and she looked like she might never stop.

"I know! But that's not even the best part. He already asked me to be his girlfriend this morning before he asked me on the date, and I said yes! Shane's my boyfriend now! He said that he knows it's kind of unusual to become boyfriend and girlfriend before the first date, but he couldn't stand to be just friends with me anymore." Mitchie told Alex, who smiled even wider. She was about to reply when she noticed Nate walk into the room. Alex furrowed her eyebrows in confusion; Nate wasn't supposed to be in this class. He saw her looking at him in confusion and smirked and walked over to her. Alex's look of confusion turned to one of annoyance. Mitchie noticed Nate too, and also glared at him.

"What the hell do you want, Grey?" Alex spat out. She usually wasn't so hostile, but she was still upset with him calling her a slut earlier. Nate just smirked at her.

"You ran off crying so fast this morning, you forgot to say bye. What exactly was it that made you cry, though? I mean, you can't be going through a break-up or anything like that; no guy would ever date a slut like you." Nate asked her, smirking even more when Alex winced and tears filled her eyes once again.

"Leave her alone, Grey. You have no idea what she's going through, so back off." Mitchie warned him in a voice that would scare any normal person off. Nate just stood there and smirked, turning to face Mitchie. He was about to say something when the bell rang and Mrs. Robbins noticed him standing there.

"Yes, may I help you?" Mrs. Robbins asked him, a little confused as to why he was standing in her class. Nate walked up to her with a paper in his hands. He gave it to her.

"They changed my schedule, and I got moved into this class. The lady in the office told me to tell you to make sure and read the note attached." Nate told her. As Mrs. Robbins looked at his schedule, Alex froze in her seat. This class was one of the only classes Alex didn't have with Nate; the other class was art. Now, he was in here too. Just freaking great.

"Alright then, Nate. It appears that the only available seat left is the one next to Alex. Why don't you sit there for now. We don't have assigned seats in here, so next time if you get here early enough you can sit wherever you want to." Mrs. Robbins told him. Nate smirked when he walked closer to Alex and heard her groan.

Alex turned to Mitchie and mouthed, 'Why me?'. Mitchie patted her arm sympathetically.

"Alright, Nate. These papers say you're too smart for the last class you were in and they had to move you out of there because it wasn't challenging enough for you, but you may struggle with this class until you get the hang of it. What I'm gonna do is assign Alex to tutor you for the first few weeks. Then, you should be fine on your own. Both of you come see me at the end of the class and we'll discuss details." Mrs. Robbins told him. Nate's smirk turned into a frown. Alex's jaw dropped. How in the hell was she expected to tutor Nate Freaking Grey for the next few weeks without killing him first?

"Wait, what? I can't tutor Nate!" Alex blurted out. Mrs. Robbins looked at her weirdly. See, Alex does talk to Mrs. Robbins pretty often, but she never told her how much she despises Nate.

"Alex, I'm not sure why you seem to think you can't, but you're going to have to. You're my only student with an A average, and Nate needs a tutor that knows what they're doing. Now, let's move on to our lesson." Mrs. Robbins said, then walked over to her desk to get her book. Alex groaned and sunk down in her seat.

At the end of class, Alex and Nate went to talk with Mrs. Robbins. They decided that they would meet up every afternoon after school and on weekends for a tutoring lesson.

_Next class (English class)..._

"Alright, class. I know that I don't usually do this, but I have a ton of papers that need grading, so I'm going to give you an easy writing assignment today. Your writing topic today is probably a topic you had in the 6th or 7th grade. You're going to be writing about your best friend. Tell me their name, how you met, what you like to do together for fun, everything! I want it to be at least a full page long. Now, you may talk while you're working, but I expect for your papers to be finished by the end of class." Mrs. Jackson, their English teacher, told them, making Alex and Mitchie turn and smile at each other. They knew they were writing their papers about each other. They were so happy to have an easy assignment.

"Thank-you so much for the break, Mrs. Jackson. This is such a great writing topic." Alex told Mrs. Jackson sweetly. She always liked to compliment her teachers. She was the ultimate teacher's pet. Alex's smile faded when she heard a voice from behind her speak up. Mitchie sighed.

"You're such a suck-up, Russo!" Nate called to her, smirking when Alex turned around and glared at him.

"You're such an asshole, Grey!" Alex spat back, earning a small laugh from Mitchie. Nate narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're a no-good slut, Russo!" Nate yelled back, starting to get angry. Tears rushed to Alex's eyes for the third time that morning, and she tried to shake the amount of hurt she was feeling. But, she just couldn't force her tears away this time and they spilled out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She quickly got up and ran out of the room, ignoring all of the other students who were looking at her weirdly.

"Mitchie, why don't you go check on her." Mrs. Jackson suggested. Mitchie nodded her head and stood up. She then turned to Nate and glared at him; it was a glare so hate-filled that it made the class go silent.

"I hope you're happy, Nate! You know, Alex has been through complete hell the past few years and terrible, unthinkable things have happened to her. You constantly messing with her doesn't make it any better." Mitchie told him in a hard tone, then walked out of the room. The class was still silent, but they all turned to look at Nate. He just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. But on the inside, he was wondering what terrible, unthinkable thing had happened to Alex that he didn't know about.

After Alex had run out of the classroom, she ran into the girls bathroom and locked herself in a stall. She then sat down in the corner of it and pulled her knees up to her chest and wiped her tears.

Closing her eyes and leaning her head back and against the wall, she couldn't stop thinking about the afternoon Haylee was conceived. She could see it all too clearly in her head. She could still feel the gut-wrenching pain she went through and the blood as it slid down her cheek after he hit her when she tried to push him away. She could still feel his rough hands as he touched her. She could still hear his sickening voice as he called her names she couldn't stand to be called. She could still smell his nasty, cheap perfume he'd bought a week earlier, trying to impress her.

She hated it.

Alex's whole body shook as she thought about that afternoon, and she sobbed.

"Lexie? Are you in here?" she heard Mitchie's voice echo through the bathroom. She tried to answer, but only a sob escaped her. Mitchie fortunately heard her and walked over to the stall.

"Lex, open the door and let me in." Mitchie told her. Alex slowly and shakily reached her arm out and unlocked the door. Mitchie then stepped inside and locked the door back. Then, she got down on the floor next to Alex and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Shh. Everything's okay, Lexie. Everything's alright." Mitchie soothed Alex, stroking her hair a little.

"Mitchie, w-why did that happen to me? Why did my life have to be such hell? Why, Mitchie?" Alex asked Mitchie through tears. Tears filled Mitchie's eyes as she heard the pain in Alex's voice.

"Honestly, I don't know. But if I had to guess, I would say that it happened to you because you're one of the strongest people in the world, Lex. And, even though all of that bad stuff happened to you, you're still going strong. Any normal person would have given up by now, but not you. You're too strong to give up. And I know it hurts like hell, but you can get through it. That's just how strong you are, Alex. It happened to you because you're one of the very few people strong enough to take it." Mitchie replied. Alex was quiet for a minute, then looked up at Mitchie.

"You think I'm strong, Mitchie?" Alex asked Mitchie in a little shock. She never knew anyone considered her strong. She even considered herself to be weak.

"You're the strongest person I know, Lexie. Not only that, but you're also the best mother and the best friend I know." Mitchie replied, making Alex smiled a little.

"Thanks, Mitchie. For everything." Alex told her a minute later as she wiped her eyes. Mitchie smiled.

"No problem, Alex. I'll always be here for you to talk to." Mitchie promised her. Alex smiled at her. Mitchie then stood up then pulled Alex up. She helped Alex fix her eye make-up, then the girls walked back to class.

_Later on at lunchtime..._

Alex and Mitchie were sitting at a table together, eating their lunch and talking about Mitchie and Shane's date plans for Friday night. Alex was feeling a lot better by now, and she was determined not to let anything else ruin her day.. especially not Nate Grey.

"I think you should wear your light blue flowy tank-top." Alex told Mitchie as she took a sip of her water. Mitchie smiled.

"That's a great idea! I'll wear my dark blue skinny jeans with it!" Mitchie replied excitedly with a smile. Alex grinned at her. She was about to tell her to wear her white sandals with the outfit when her cell-phone rang. Alex quickly took it out of her bag, stood up, and walked out of the cafeteria so she would be able to hear better. She knew Mitchie would understand. Alex pushed the receive button on her phone once she was outside, then put it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Alex answered. It was a call from her mom's phone.

"Mommy, I sick." Haylee's voice replied. Alex figured her mom had let Haylee call her. Alex frowned in concern.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Alex asked her.

"My twummy hurwts, Momma. I need you." Haylee said, sounding like she had been crying. Alex frowned again, trying to think of what to do.

"Alright, Haybear. Mommy will see if she can come home and stay with you. Will you put Grandma on the phone?" Alex asked Haylee.

"Yeah." Haylee told her. Alex heard the phone being passed around.

"Mom? Is Haylee okay?" Alex asked her worriedly.

"I think she's going to be fine; she just really wanted to call you." Mrs. Russo replied, making Alex feel a little bit better.

"Alright. Can you call the school and tell them to sign me out? I think I should be there with her." Alex asked her mom with a little relief.

"Sure. Do I need to get them to sign Mitchie out too?" Mrs. Russo asked her. Alex thought about it for a minute.

"No, I don't think so. She has Biology next block; she probably needs to stay for that." Alex replied. She knew that Mitchie would probably want to be there with Haylee, but she needed to stay for schoolwork.

"Okay, I'll call and sign you out. Just go by the office and let them know you're leaving before you go." Mrs. Russo told Alex. Alex furrowed her eyebrows in concern when she heard Haylee start to cry again.

"I will. I'll be there in a few minutes." Alex said, then hung up her phone. She slid it in her pocket and walked back into the cafeteria to tell Mitchie what was going on.

What Alex didn't know was that someone stepped around the corner after Alex went back into the cafeteria. She didn't know that he had an extremely shocked expression on his face or that he heard her whole phone conversation. She didn't know that he heard her refer to herself as _'Mommy'._

**A/N: Andd, that's where this episode is ending. Did you like it? Did you hate it? Review and tell me! (:**

**- Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

_"You..you have a d-daughter?"_

…_._

_"What the hell? Why on freaking Earth are you reading my journal?"_

…_._

_"Mommy, that stwanger said a bad word!" _

…_._

_Once a full block away from the Russo's house, Nate pulled his car over and pulled Alex's purple journal, the one he stole out of her night-stand drawer when he was leaning against it, out from in-between his school books._


	3. Shane Knows

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 2: Shane Knows**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**I hope you like this episode, and that you enjoyed the last one as well. (:**

**Disclaimer: **WOWP and Camp Rock are in no way mine. The only things that are mine are the idea for this story and Haylee. (:

**STARTING STORY:**

"My little Haybear, are you okay?" Alex asked the 3 year old as she got down on her knees next to Haylee's bed. She's home from school now. Mitchie was sad about not being able to be at home with Haylee to help her feel better, but she knew that her grade in Biology had to stay up if she wanted to stay in the musical. Mrs. Russo went out to lunch with one of her friends once Alex got home, but she told them to call her if they needed anything.

"My twummy hurwts, Momma." Haylee replied. Alex sighed sadly and put her hand on Haylee's forehead to check her temperature. She felt like she had just a little fever.

"Did Grandma already give you medicine, pumpkin?" Alex asked Haylee, who shook her head no.

"No. She wanted to wait untwil you got hwome." Haylee replied. Alex nodded in understandment and stroked a piece of hair out of Haylee's face.

"Momma's gonna go get you some medicine, alright? Then I'll help you change into pajamas." Alex asked Haylee, who nodded. Alex stood up and left the room for a few moments, then returned with a medicine cup full of purple medicine. It looked far from tasty. Alex walked over to Haylee and sat down next to her.

"Alright, Haybear. Let's take your medicine now." Alex told Haylee. Haylee took one look at the nasty purple medicine, then turned her head the other way.

"Come on, Haybear. It'll make you feel all better." Alex persuaded the little girl. Haylee shook her head.

"No!" Haylee said, refusing to face Alex. Alex sighed.

"Come on, baby. Will you take it if I put 'The Hannah Montana Movie' on for you?" Alex asked Haylee, smiling a little as she saw Haylee's eyes light up.

"Fine." Haylee muttered, then turned to face Alex. Alex helped her take her medicine, then giggled a little at the disgusted face Haylee made.

"That's my big girl! Now, we'll change you into your pajamas. Then, I'll put your movie on, but I want you to rest. Alright?" Alex asked Haylee, who nodded.

A few minutes later, Haylee was dressed in her lime green Care Bears pajamas and laying in her bed. Alex leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, then stood up and put her movie on for her. Alex left the room and headed down to the living room. When she got down there, she took one look at the mess Haylee had made that day and sighed. She started picking up dolls and stuffed animals, putting them inside Haylee's toy-box.

Alex cleaned to living room and kitchen until about 4:00, when she heard Haylee start calling for her. Setting the wash-rag she'd been wiping the counters off with down, she ran upstairs to check on Haylee.

She was feeling better, so Alex carried her downstairs and set her at the table with a juice box and Goldfish.

"I'm home!" Alex and Haylee heard Mitchie call out a minute later, followed by the door closing.

"Aunt Mitchie!" Haylee squealed and ran to Mitchie when she walked into the kitchen. Mitchie grinned and picked Haylee up.

"Hey pumpkin! I missed you!" Mitchie said to the grinning 3 year old.

"I missed you too!" Haylee replied with a grin, then threw her arms around Mitchie's neck. Mitchie giggled.

"Well, that's good. Why don't you go back to your snack while I talk to Mommy, okay?" Mitchie asked her once they pulled apart as she sat her back down in her chair at the table. Mitchie then walked over to Alex. Before she had a chance to say anything, though, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Mitchie told them, then walked over to the door to answer it. Opening it, she saw Shane standing there.

"Hey, Shane! What are you doing here?" Mitchie asked him, happy to see him but kind of confused. He didn't mention anything earlier about stopping by. Shane just looked kind of shocked.

"Umm, can we talk?" Shane asked her, confusing her even more. She hoped to God he wasn't there to cancel their date.

"Sure. Come on in." Mitchie replied, stepping out of the way and letting him inside. She shut the door behind them, and led him into the living room. They both sat down on the couch. Shane was being strangely quiet.

"So what's up, Shane?" Mitchie finally asked him, after a few minutes of complete silence. He needed to hurry up with whatever he was telling her before Haylee came into the room. Shane looked shocked and pretty confused. He turned to look at her.

"Well, I heard something earlier and I was kind of wondering if it was true or not." Shane started. Mitchie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"So, what did you hear?" Mitchie asked him curiously.

"I was outside getting some fresh air during lunch, and I saw Alex walk outside. She didn't see me, though. She started talking on the phone, and she referred to herself as... 'Mommy'. I guess all I'm wondering is... does Alex have a kid?" Shane asked Mitchie, whose eyes widened. How in the heck was she supposed to answer this question?

"Oh." was all Mitchie said, then she looked down. She honestly had no idea what to say. She was trying to think of something when she heard Alex's voice from behind her.

"Mitchie, who was at the door?" Alex asked her as she came into the room balancing Haylee, who had a hand full of Goldfish, on one hip. Mitchie's eyes widened. That's when Alex noticed Shane sitting there with Mitchie. He was looking from Alex to Haylee with wide eyes.

"Oh shit." Shane muttered. He had secretly been hoping that he had heard Alex wrong on the phone. Apparently, he had heard her perfectly. Little Haylee's eyes widened, and she turned to face her mommy.

"Mommy, that stwanger said a bad word!" Haylee said as if she was saying he just killed somebody. To most 3 year olds, saying a bad word is a big deal. Alex shook her head, trying to lose the feeling of shock she had. She glanced down at Haylee.

"It's okay, sweetie. We'll forgive him this time." Alex told her little girl. Mitchie then stood up and walked over to Alex.

"Umm, let's go upstairs for a little while, Haylee-Bug. Alright?" Mitchie asked Haylee, feeling like Alex and Shane should talk this out. Haylee nodded, and Mitchie took her from Alex's arms. She carried her back upstairs. When Mitchie and Haylee left, Alex turned to Shane. He was looking at her with wide eyes.

"You..you have a d-daughter?" Shane choked out in complete shock. Alex nodded her head slowly, knowing there was no way to lie in this situation. Shane just continued to stare at her, and Alex sighed and sat down next to him. She took a deep breath, then began.

"Yes, I have a daughter. Her name is Haylee Elle Russo, and she's 3 years old. I had her when I was 15. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I really didn't want anyone to know until graduation. I didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama." Alex told him slowly, looking nervous. He was quiet for a few minutes, trying to process this information. Then, he looked at Alex with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wait, how is this even possible? You told me before that you didn't want to have sex until you were married." Shane asked her, completely confused. He knew that Alex was being completely serious when she told him she didn't want sex until marriage. Alex turned away, a few tears falling down her cheeks as she thought about the night Haylee was created. She just sighed, letting silence be the answer to Shane's question.

Shane, on the other hand, started to get worried when he heard Alex's sniffling. Why would she be crying over such a simple question? He wondered. That's when he got to thinking.. If she was completely serious when she said she wasn't having sex until she was married, and she started crying over such a simple question, that only meant one thing... Tears filled Shane's eyes, and he put his hand on Alex's shoulder comfortingly. She winced, not used to guys laying their hands on her, confirming Shane's suspicions.

"Oh Alex." Shane breathed, tears threatening to fall. He couldn't even imagine his 'little sister' going through so much. It was unthinkable. Shane wiped away a single tear that traveled down his cheek, and looked at Alex; his 'little sister'.

"Lexie, who.. how.. when.." Shane trailed off, then decided that he'd be better off not knowing the answers to those question. Alex wiped at her tears, then turned to face Shane once again. It almost killed him to see the amount of hurt in Alex's eyes.

"Please don't tell anyone." Alex choked out. Shane nodded.

"I won't tell anyone." he promised her. She nodded in reply. They were quiet for a few minutes after that, and Shane was desperately trying to think of something to do to make Alex cheer up a bit. He finally thought of something.

"So, can I meet her?" Shane asked her a minute later. Alex's head popped up in shock, and she just looked at him.

"Umm, s-sure. Follow me." Alex replied slowly, leading him upstairs to Haylee's pink and purple polka-dotted bedroom. When they got there, Mitchie was sitting in Haylee's bed with her holding her.

"I wove you, Aunt Mitchie." little Haylee told Mitchie as Mitchie rocked her back and forth. Mitchie smiled down at her precious God-daughter.

"I love you too, Haylee-Bug." Mitchie told her. Alex and Shane smiled at the sight, and walked over to the bed. Haylee looked confused at the sight of Shane. She then looked at her mommy.

"Momma? Who he?" Haylee asked Alex, referring to Shane. Alex smiled at Haylee.

"Haybear, this is your Uncle Shane. Shane, this is Haylee." Alex introduced them. Haylee smiled; she loves meeting new people just like Alex used to. Shane smiled and knelt down in front of Haylee.

"Hi, Uncwle Shane!" Haylee squealed with a smile identical to Alex's. Shane chuckled.

"Hey, Haylee. It's so nice to meet you!" Shane told her with a smile. Haylee giggled in delight.

"Are you feeling better, Haybear?" Alex asked her little girl with a smile. Haylee nodded.

"I feeling mwuch better!" Haylee replied, making Alex giggle.

"I guess that yucky medicine did the trick, huh?" Mitchie asked Haylee, laughing when Haylee scrunched up her nose in disgust. Alex and Shane laughed too.

"Yall, I'm gonna go straighten up some more. Come get me if you need me." Alex told them. Mitchie and Shane nodded, and Alex left into her own bedroom. Once she was there, she changed out of her jeans and shirt, and into her grey sweat pants and lime-green tank-top.

Once she was changed, she sighed and leaned against her wall, still hurting from having to think about the rape. It took all her strength not to just sit down and cry her eyes out; she was determined to stay strong. She stayed like that for about 5 minutes, then began straightening up her bedroom. She was busy folding Haylee's purple blanket when she heard the doorbell ring. She quickly set the blanket down and rushed downstairs, opening the front door. Her eyes widened at who was standing there in front of her.

It was Nate.

"What do you want, Grey?" Alex asked him, feeling more confused than angry at the moment. Nate rolled his eyes.

"Obviously, on top of you being a slut, you've gotten more stupid too. We have a tutoring lesson, remember?" Nate asked her. Alex sighed and rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore his insults. It's not that they didn't still hurt; because they did. She was just drained from her conversation with Shane earlier.

"Oh, right. Come on in." Alex replied, stepping out of the way to let him inside. He slowly stepped inside, and she shut the door behind him. He looked at her weirdly.

"Do you want a drink or anything?" Alex asked him in a tired voice, puzzling him even more.

"Um, no. What's wrong with you? You're not insulting me and you don't have any comebacks." he asked her with confused expression. She just sighed.

"Look, I really don't feel like it right now. Let's just get started on the lesson. We can head up to my room." Alex told him, leading him upstairs to her bedroom. He followed behind her with a weird expression on his face. There was one thing for sure, she sure as heck wasn't acting like the Alex Russo he knew.

On the way up to her bedroom, Alex suddenly remembered that she couldn't let Nate know about Haylee. He was the last person she wanted to know. He would make certain that everyone at school found out. Alex started to panic once they got to the second floor of her house. Alex turned to Nate.

"Um, you go on to my room. It's the one with the green door. I'll be in there in a minute." Alex told him. He nodded and walked to her room. Alex walked into Haylee's room. She looked at Mitchie and Shane, who were both sitting and watching Care Bears with Haylee. Alex smiled at them, then walked over to Mitchie.

"I've gotta make this fast. Nate's here and in my bedroom so I can tutor him. Can yall keep Haylee out of there? I don't especially want him to know about her." Alex asked Mitchie, whose eyes widened. She nodded.

"Of course. Call me if you need me." Mitchie replied. Alex smiled and nodded, then left Haylee's room. She headed back down the hallway to her own bedroom. When she got inside, she saw Nate sitting on her bed flipping through a purple notebook. As Alex got closer, she noticed that it was her journal. See, whenever Alex is feeling down or just needs to get her feelings out, she writes in her journal. Her journal is a way of her getting her feelings out without actually having to talk about them. Though it does help her with other things, she doesn't write anything about the rape in it. To her, it's just easier to talk about that because when she gets to writing, she starts thinking too deeply. It does, however, have stuff about Haylee in it. Alex marched up to Nate and snatched her journal out of his hands, startling him.

"What the hell? Why on freaking Earth are you reading my journal?" Alex exploded, safely setting her journal in the top drawer of her night-stand. She glared at him when she noticed that he was smirking at her.

"Oh, relax. I barely had it opened when you came in here." he said to her, smirking even more when she started to look angrier.

"That's so not the point! You shouldn't have been trying to read it in the first place!" Alex yelled, exasperated. Nate just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's just get started. Unlike you, I actually have a life and plans tonight." Nate said to her, causing her to send him a death glare. She sighed and sat down across from him on her bed. Part of her envied him. He got to live the normal teenage life. He could go to parties, hang out at the mall, pretty much anything. She, on the other hand, would be giving Haylee dinner then a bath. Then, she'd have to make her go to bed around 8. That would give her about an hour of time to herself, then the rest of the time would be spent studying and doing homework.

That other part of Alex, though, wouldn't change the way her life is now for absolutely anything.

Alex took a deep breath, calming herself down, then turned to Nate.

"Alright, so what is it that you don't understand about Algebra?" Alex asked him, trying to decide where to start with him. Nate thought about her question for a minute, then looked at her.

"Honestly, I don't understand any of the new stuff yall are learning." was Nate's reply. Alex nodded, thinking that this was gonna be a long lesson.

They had been going over practice problems together for about an hour, when there was a knock at Alex's door.

"Come in!" Alex called, and a second later her mom opened the door. She smiled at Alex, then at Nate, looking surprised.

"Nate, it's been such a long time! How are you?" Mrs. Russo asked Nate with a smile. Alex pretty much didn't tell her mom that she and Nate hate each other or about any of the mean things he's said to her. She just told her that they grew apart and didn't hang out together anymore. Alex rolled her eyes, and Nate smiled.

"Hey, Mrs. Russo. I've been really good." Nate replied, making Mrs. Russo smile even more. Alex decided to speak up, trying to make her mom leave sooner.

"Mom, what did you need?" Alex asked her. Mrs. Russo looked confused for a minute, then smiled.

"Oh yeah. Your father and I have to leave for a sandwich convention in New York tomorrow. We'll be gone for 3 weeks, and we're taking Max with us. Are you, Mitchie, and Haylee gonna be okay here alone until we get back? I can call your school and get your work for all three weeks so you can stay here with Haylee." Mrs. Russo asked Alex. Another thing Mrs. Russo doesn't know about is Alex's decision to not tell anybody from school about Haylee. Needless to say, Alex doesn't really talk to her mom all that much. They really aren't that close at all. Mrs. Russo is usually busy with work and such. Alex usually just goes to Mitchie when she has a problem.

"Umm, that sounds fine. Did you tell Mitchie yet?" Alex asked her mom, trying to get her out of the room before she said too much about Haylee.

"I'm just about to go tell her. We can talk more about this later if you want to, sweetie." Mrs. Russo told her, then left the room. Nate looked at Alex in confusion.

"Who's Haylee?" Nate asked her. Alex looked down at her hands, finding them very interesting at the moment.

"Um, why don't you do the next 5 problems by yourself." Alex told him quietly. Nate looked at her for a minute, wondering if she was okay. She didn't usually look so sad or talk with her head down. He quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head. This was Alex Russo they were talking about. He hates her. He shouldn't be worried about her. He just rolled his eyes and went back to the problems in his Algebra book.

5 minutes later, Nate was still working on the practice problems when his phone rang. He slid it out of his pocket and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Nate answered. He started grinning when her heard who it was. Yep, you guessed it right… Sarah, his skank of the week.

"No, I'm not doing anything important….. Of course I can be right there…. Alright, bye." Nate said, then hung up. Alex just looked at him.

"Look, I've got more important things to do, so I'll see you around." Nate told Alex as he stood up and gathered his books. He leaned against Alex's night-stand and looked at her.

"Yeah, because wherever you're going is so much more important than your education. I totally understand." Alex told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she stood up and crossed her arms. He turned and glared at her.

"Whatever. I don't have time for this. Later, bitch." Nate told her coldly as he pushed past her and left her room. A minute later, she heard the front door to her house close.

Alex sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead as she did so. Her day had been more stressful than she had imagined it would be, and it wasn't even over yet.

Once a full block away from the Russo's house, Nate pulled his car over and pulled Alex's purple journal, the one he stole out of her night-stand drawer when he was leaning against it, out from in-between his school books. He opened it to the first page and started reading.

It was dated 6 years ago. As Nate read, he realized that it was the day 6 years ago that he told Alex that he was too cool to hang out with her and that it was her fault that Bella died so many years before. Of course he didn't mean it; his friends told him that if he didn't make fun of her, he wouldn't be considered cool. He remembers the look of pain that hit Alex's face and the never-ending tears run down her face as she ran away.

As Nate flipped to the next page, he noticed that it was dated 3 years later, when Alex was 15. He noticed the tear-stains on the page that smeared some of the writing, and he could barely read it. The very first sentence, though, he could read perfectly. It made his eyes widen, and he dropped the journal.

"_Well, it was confirmed today; I'm pregnant."_ is what that very first sentence on the page read.

**A/N: Uh oh! Looks like a lot of trouble is heading towards Alex! I hope y'all liked it, and PLEASE REVIEW! (:**

**- Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

_"So, I was right? You really are a slut. Oh man, just wait until everyone else finds out about this." _

…_._

_"Are you seriously calling Alex, the girl you used to spend every waking moment with when you were little, a slut?" _

…_._

"_Look, I'm sorry. I'm just really, really sorry for everything I've done, and I'm just trying to find Alex to tell her that." _

…_._

"_I said to save it, Nate! In case you don't know, that means that I don't want to hear what you have to say. I've already had a bad day, and I don't need your stupid insults to make it worse. Now leave me alone!" _

…_._

"_Yeah, Momma's okay. Everything's gonna be okay." _


	4. Nate Knows

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 3: Nate Knows**

**By: daddylittleprincess123**

**A/N: Thank-you all very much for your sweet reviews! I love them!**

**stephlorhaze: **Thanks for your sweet review! Andd, you were the VERY FIRST reviewer! Here's the update for this story, and I'm working on the new 'You Are The Music In Me' chapter. I hope you like it! (:

**annie: **Thank-you for your review! I hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**LEATHERnGOLD: **Hahaha, yeah. Nate's a jerk… at first. Thank-you very much for the compliment, and I'm happy you like this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Miyaa7: **I'm soo happy you love my story! I hope you love this chapter as well. (:

**butterflygurl2468: **Thank-you VERYY much! I'm soooooo happy you like my story! I hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Thanks y'all for your reviews! Also, thanks to everyone who has favorited or story-alerted this story! This chapter is dedicated to y'all! (:**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock. I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place. I only own the characters I created and the idea for this story. (:

**STARTING STORY:**

Nate, too shocked to read anymore, just sat there. He was completely confused.

The girl he used to spend every waking moment with when they were little; the girl who swore to him that she wasn't gonna have sex until marriage... had a baby?

One part of Nate wanted to go to her and hug her and listen to her as she told him everything that happened since they stopped being friends. He wanted to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright as she started getting to the parts that made her cry. He wanted to know everything about the baby she was pregnant with.. Was it a boy or a girl? What was it's name? He especially wanted to know who the baby's father, the guy Alex broke her promise for, was. This part of Nate wanted to apologize to Alex for everything mean he's ever said or done to her, especially for telling her that it was her fault Bella died. This part of Nate wanted to be Alex's best friend again. He wanted to erase the past 6 years and start them over.

But, the other part of Nate wanted to roll his eyes and call Alex every name in the book for breaking her promise. This part of him wanted to tell everyone at school that Alex Russo has a child and make her life more miserable than it already was. This part of him couldn't care less if the baby was a boy or a girl or a freaking dinosaur. This part of him hated Alex with every fiber of his being and wanted to show her just how much he hates her. He wanted to get back at her for every ounce of humiliation she's ever caused him, and he wanted to embarrass her just like she's embarrassed him before.

Unfortunately, the second part of Nate won.

Nate started his car again and turned it around, speeding back to Alex's house.

_With Alex…_

"Mommy, can we go pway in the yard?" Haylee asked Alex as Alex finished folding a load of laundry. She had gotten over how rude and stupid Nate acted earlier. Alex smiled at Haylee.

"Sure sweetie. Go slip your shoes on, and we'll go." Alex replied. Haylee grinned and ran into the living room to put her green flip-flops on. As she was leaving, Shane and Mitchie walked into the room hand-in-hand. Alex smiled at them.

"Hey lovebirds. What's up?" Alex asked them, giggling a little as Mitchie's cheeks turned a light pink. Shane smiled.

"Well, we're about to go grab an early dinner. Do you and Haylee want to come? Your parents and Max just went out to eat too." Shane asked Alex. Alex smiled, but shook her head no.

"No thanks. I already promised Haylee a heart-shaped grilled cheese. Yall have fun, though." Alex replied with a smile.

"We will. I'll be home around 8, alright?" Mitchie asked Alex, who nodded.

"Alrighty. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Alex warned them, making them laugh. They waved a little at her, then left the house. Alex watched out the window as Shane opened the car door for Mitchie and then he got in himself, and they drove off. Alex smiled and headed to the living room to find Haylee. She had just finished putting her flip-flops on.

"You ready to go outside, baby girl?" Alex asked her. Haylee looked at her and nodded her head happily. Alex smiled and held out her hand. Haylee ran up to her and grabbed her hand. Alex grabbed her phone before they walked outside. Once they were out there, Haylee ran and grabbed her pink sparkly ball and started bouncing it. Alex sat down on the front doorstep and watched her with a smile.

A second later, Alex furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Nate's car came speeding around the corner and into their driveway. Haylee ran up to Alex, Nate's car going so fast frightening her.

"Mommy!" little Haylee said, frightened. Alex stood up and picked Haylee up, balancing her on her hip. Nate got out of his car and stormed up to them. When he saw Haylee, his eyes widened. Alex felt her stomach drop when she saw her purple journal in Nate's hand. Alex set Haylee down and looked at her.

"Sweetie, will you please go inside for a few minutes for mommy? I'll come get you when it's okay." Alex asked Haylee, who nodded. Alex watched as Haylee ran inside the house and shut the door behind her. Then, Alex turned and looked at Nate.

"Y-you have a kid?" Nate asked her, though he already knew the answer. Alex sighed and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened them back up, she sighed again.

"Nate, I…" Alex started, but trailed off. She didn't know what to say. Nate scoffed and stepped closer to her.

"So, I was right? You really are a slut. Oh man, just wait until everyone else finds out about this." Nate said to her, smirking evilly. Alex's head snapped up when she heard that last part. Nate's smirk wavered slightly when he saw the tears fill Alex's eyes. He quickly recovered and continued smirking at her. Alex looked desperate.

"No! No one else can know! Please!" Alex said quickly, desperately. Nate smirked once again at her desperate tone, making Alex's stomach drop. Of course he was gonna tell everybody else. She hasn't really given him a reason not to tell everyone else.

"Please, Nate. Just please don't tell anyone else. I'll do anything for you. Just please.." Alex begged, feeling hopeless and vulnerable. Nate smirked even more at her.

"You're pathetic." was Nate's reply. A few tears made their way down Alex's cheeks, and she sighed and brushed them away.

"Please, Nate." Alex begged one last time, her voice cracking at the end. She wished he would leave then. She didn't want him to see her when she completely broke down, which she felt was coming. Nate rolled his eyes at her and threw her purple journal down at her feet.

"Just tell me one thing, so I'll have the full story when I tell everyone else. Why did you break your promise?" Nate asked her, starting to feel a bit less angry at her. She just looked at him, her tears still falling.

"Wh-what promise?" Alex asked him, unsure of what he was talking about. Nate rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed.

"The promise you made me that you wouldn't have sex until you were married." Nate replied. Alex sighed when she realized what he was talking about. She couldn't very well tell him the truth; he would tell everyone else. Alex looked down, and Nate scoffed at her.

"Slut." Nate muttered before stomping back to his truck. He got in and sped off. The second Alex saw Nate's truck turn the corner and leave her street, she sighed and sat down in the yard, tears practically pouring out of her eyes. She hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed.

She wasn't upset because Nate knew her secret, and she wasn't upset that he said he was going to tell everyone else at school. She could handle all that; she's handled much worse before. She's upset because Nate called her a slut when he found out, without even trying to find out the truth. She's upset because the guy she used to consider her very best friend wouldn't even take the time to listen to her and called her the very name she couldn't take being called. The Nate she used to know would have pushed and pushed until she had told him the truth. Then, he would have sat there and held her until she stopped crying. That Nate wouldn't have just left her while she was broken. That's what hurt her the most.

After a few minutes, Alex felt a hand land on her shoulder. She jumped, startled, and looked up to see Haylee standing next to her, her face worried. Alex held her arms out, and Haylee hugged her. Alex pulled her into her lap and hugged her tightly.

"You otay, Momma?" Haylee asked Alex. Alex sighed and used all the strength she had to make her tears stop and smile at her little girl.

"Yeah, Momma's okay. Everything's gonna be okay." Alex promised her little girl, then pulled her back into a hug.

_At the Grey residence..._

Nate was laying down on his bed, feeling an immense amount of guilt for what he had just done. He doesn't usually feel guilty when it comes to tormenting Alex, but this time he does. He actually wished he could take it all back.

What did he do?... He did the one thing Alex begged, pleaded him not to do..

"Nate! What the hell is the matter with you? Why did Leah Sanders just call me to find out if Alex really has a daughter? Why did she tell me that she heard it from you?" a furious looking Mitchie demanded, storming into his bedroom without knocking. Shane was right behind her, an angry expression on his face. They had left the restaurant right after Mitchie got that call.

Nate sighed, frustrated, and sat up. He felt the need to keep his tough-guy act up. He scoffed at her.

"She's a slut who had a daughter when she was 15. I think everyone should know what kind of trash is going to their school." Nate replied as if it were the most simple thing in the world. Mitchie glared at him. She looked about ready to kill him.

"What the freaking hell? You are such an asshole!" Mitchie screamed at him. Shane thanked his lucky stars his parents weren't home at the moment. He sighed and put a hand on Mitchie's shoulder.

"Mitch, why don't you wait in the living room? I need to have a talk with Nate." Shane told Mitchie calmly. She sighed, calming down a bit, then looked at him.

"Fine. But when you're done, I get a turn yelling at him." Mitchie replied quietly, then left the room, but not before sending one last death glare at Nate. Shane turned to look at Nate.

"Are you seriously calling Alex, the girl you used to spend every waking moment with when you were little, a slut?" Shane asked Nate angrily, but trying to remain calm. Nate rolled his eyes.

"Yes. I'm seriously calling Alex, the slut, a slut. The girl had a baby when she was freaking 15 years old! If that's not a slut, then I don't know what is." Nate replied. That did it for Shane. He couldn't take Nate trash-talking Alex anymore.

"She was raped, Nate! She was raped when she was 15, and that's how she got pregnant! She didn't just sleep with some random guy for her own benefit; she didn't even have a choice in the matter! Some low-life that was too strong for her forced her to have sex with him, and she got pregnant. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge next time." Shane thundered, then stormed out of Nate's room. He slammed the door behind him, rattling the guitar hanging on the wall in Nate's room. Nate didn't notice any of it, though. He was in shock.

The Alex he grew up with, the little girl who wasn't ever afraid of anything, was raped? Some low-life found a way to hurt and permanently damage her, and now she has to be extra safe around everyone, and Nate was too self-centered to even be there for her.

Suddenly, Nate felt an over-whelming sense of guilt. It completely took over his body. He not only felt guilty for calling Alex a slut or for telling everybody else in the school that she has a daughter, but for not ever being there for her and for turning on her when they entered junior high and for everything mean he's ever done to her. Nate just really wanted to make everything right. He had to, even if it was the last thing he did.

He grabbed his car keys and left his room, determined to find Alex. When he got to the living room, Mitchie jumped up off the couch and stormed over to him. Nate sighed and pushed past her.

"Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm not finished with you!" Mitchie asked him in rage. Nate turned to look at her.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm just really, really sorry for everything I've done, and I'm just trying to find Alex to tell her that." Nate replied, his voice breaking at the end as he thought about how much pain Alex went through. Then he left, leaving a speechless Mitchie standing there.

_With Alex…._

To make Haylee believe that she was actually okay, Alex strapped her in the car and brought her over to the library. The library was a place Alex often went to clear her head. It made her feel better; it was safe.

They got to the library about 20 minutes ago. Alex let Haylee stay in the children's section and sit at a table and look at books. The librarian over there said that she'd keep an eye on her. Alex then picked out a book. She had been sitting at a table with the book opened to the same page ever since she got it when someone sat down next to her. She looked up to see who it was. She was shocked to see Miley Stewart, the school's head-cheerleader sitting there looking at her.

"Are you okay?" Miley asked her. Alex attempted to wipe her tears away, but failed and broke down crying again. She couldn't make herself hold in her tears anymore. She needed to let them out.

Miley stood up from her chair and got on her knees next to Alex. She pulled her into a hug and stroked her back, attempting to calm her down.

Once Alex had settled down a little, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Miley reached into her pocket and pulled out a small packet of tissues. She took one out and gave it to Alex, who accepted it gratefully.

"Hey, let's get out of here and go somewhere to talk. You look like you need it." Miley said to Alex, who looked a little hesitant. Miley seemed pretty nice right now, but Alex still didn't know her very well. Everyone at school says she's a snob, and Alex doesn't know if she should trust her. Miley seemed to figure out what Alex was being hesitant about, and she smiled a little.

"I know that people say that I'm a snob and that all I care about are the material things, but that's not really true, you know. People just assume all that because they're too afraid to come up to me and talk. I actually love making new friends, and I'm a great listener. Come on." Miley told Alex with an encouraging smile. Alex thought about it for a minute, then slowly nodded. Miley grinned and stood up. Alex stood up too, and the girls went and got Haylee, then left.

_With Nate…._

"Where the heck could she be?" Nate muttered to himself as he drove through Alex's neighborhood for the 3rd time. When he passed by her house, he noticed that her car was gone, so she probably wasn't at home. But he had no idea where she could be.

After he drove by her house the 4th time, he decided to go look at the park for her. One thing was for sure, though. He wasn't gonna give up until he found her.

_With Alex and Miley….._

The girls drove over to the park; Miley rode with Alex because she didn't have her car. She had walked to the library. Once they got there, they got out of the car and began walking around. Haylee went to play in the sandbox, where Alex and Miley could see her.

"So, what's bothering you?" Miley asked Alex with an encouraging smile. Alex sighed and bit her lip nervously.

"Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. When I was 13, my family and I moved to Ohio. I thought everything was going great when I met this guy, K-Kevin. We started dating shortly after we met each other, and everything was pretty much perfect. We were still dating, and were pretty serious, by the time I turned 15. Even though I thought I loved him, I still wasn't ready for s-sex yet, and I told him. I thought he was okay with it, but he wasn't. A couple of weeks later, my parents had to leave for a business trip, and they left me and Mitchie home alone. They took my brothers with them. That Saturday, Mitchie left to go shopping with her friends, so I was all by myself. K-Kevin br-broke in and he…. He r-raped me." Alex finished, breaking down at the end. She stopped walking and sat down in front of a tree. Miley sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh Alex. I'm so sorry." Miley said quietly, tears filling her own eyes.

The girls sat like that for about 10 more minutes, when Alex was finally able to finish telling her story.

"H-he told me that if I told anyone what he did, he'd do it again. So, when my parents got back, I begged them not to tell the police. They agreed. He-he's still out there somewhere. Well, a couple of weeks later, I wasn't feeling myself. I was sick every morning, and my period was late. So, I went to the doctor, and it was confirmed. I was pregnant. I decided to keep the baby, and 9 months later she was born. Her name is Haylee Elle Russo, and she's 3 years old now. We moved back here about a year after she was born, and I decided to keep her a secret until graduation. I didn't want to cause any more drama in my life. But, now she's not a secret anymore. Nate found out about her today, and he said he was going to tell everyone." Alex told Miley, tears filling her eyes once again.

"Why did he say that?" Miley asked her. Alex sighed and wiped her tears away.

"Because he h-hates me. It all started when we were 12. He wanted to be part of the popular crowd, and I just wanted to be me. So, he stopped hanging out with me and threw away 7 years of friendship just so he could hang out with a bunch of jerks and call himself popular. He's been making fun of me and making my life miserable ever since then. So, when he found out about Haylee, he told everyone else even though I begged him not to. I guess it's just that, even though he hates me now, I thought he'd actually be the old Nate again and keep my secret. I thought he'd be the old Nate and hold me and tell me that everything was gonna be okay." Alex replied, tears filling her eyes again.

It hurt to think that her old best friend would never be her best friend again. She missed their old secret languages and the nights they spent talking all night long about anything and everything that popped into their heads and the hugs he'd give her that made her feel like anything was possible. She missed everything, and it hurt so much that she couldn't ever have it all back. Of course she acted like she hated him, and in a way she did, but she'd be willing to forget everything and go back to being his best friend in a heart beat.

_With Nate about 15 minutes earlier….._

Nate just arrived at the park. He parked his car and began walking around, looking for Alex.

He had been searching for Alex for about 10 minutes, and was about to leave when he heard sniffling. He looked ahead and saw Alex sitting in front of a tree, and Miley was with her. They were both crying. Nate furrowed his eyebrows in worry as he got closer to them. He didn't want them to see him because he wanted to find out what Alex was crying about, and she sure as heck wasn't going to tell him, so he quietly walked up behind the tree they were sitting in front of. He sat down quietly and listened.

"…I guess it's just that, even though he hates me now, I thought he'd actually be the old Nate again and keep my secret. I thought he'd be the old Nate and hold me and tell me that everything was gonna be okay." Nate heard Alex say, and the sound of her voice saying that actually caused pain to her heart. He never would have thought it was possible for someone's heart to actually hurt after hearing something someone said, but now he knew it was. Tears sprung to his eyes as he realized how badly he messed up when he chose those popular jerks over Alex. How badly he messed up when he didn't even bother to listen to Alex when he found out she had a daughter, how badly he messed up when he told the whole school about her daughter, and most importantly, how badly he messed up each and every time he caused Alex even more pain than she was already in.

Nate wanted nothing more that moment than to just go grab Alex and hold her until she stopped crying, stroking her back and playing with her hair the whole time. He just wanted to go back in time to when he chose those popular jerks over Alex, and change his mind. He felt such an immense amount of guilt that it nearly killed him.

Of course, that wouldn't have changed anything. Alex still would've moved and gotten raped and had a baby, but he would've been there to help her through it all.

_Back with Miley and Alex…._

"I'm so sorry, Alex. I wish there was something I could do to help you." Miley said to Alex, pulling her into another hug. Alex sighed and wiped her tears.

"It's fine. Just talking about it helps." Alex replied as she pulled away. The two girls sat in silence, thoughts running through their heads for about 5 minutes, before Alex turned to Miley.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Alex asked Miley. Miley nodded.

"When I told you everything just a minute ago, how come you didn't seem really shocked or surprised about it? You just acted like I told you the sky was blue. Why?" Alex asked her.

"I just decided not to make a big deal about it, that's all." Miley replied, but Alex sensed that what Miley just told her wasn't the real explanation. The girls were sitting in silence for a few more minutes, before Miley spoke again.

"My mom." Miley started suddenly. Alex turned to look at her, and she continued.

"She was raped when she was about 16. That's when she got pregnant with me. Sometimes I feel as if she hates me unintentionally, or that she's scared of me because of what my biological father did to her. I know she'd never admit that to anyone. And I know that she loves me more than anything else in this world. It's just hard sometimes. If she hadn't gotten her job as a singer, I'm positive that she'd hate me because I took so much from her." Miley said softly, though Alex heard everything she said. Alex looked at her new friend.

"Miley, speaking as a mother of a child that was the product of r-rape, I'm gonna be completely honest with you. Haylee brings complete joy to my life. I'm not sure I would have made it after what K-Kevin did to me if it weren't for her. She's the light of my life. But, I am going to admit that I do cry myself to sleep some nights because of who her father is. I could never hate her, but sometimes thinking about who her father is too deeply scares me to death. Having Haylee did take a lot from my life, and if I had had the choice to have a baby or not when I was 15, I would have said no. But, now I wouldn't change my life for anything. I made the choice to keep Haylee and not give her up for adoption or worse, and I intend to raise her right and give her as much unconditional love as I possibly can. And, I can speak for your mother when I say that if she truly hated you, she wouldn't have kept you when she was pregnant. She would have gotten rid of you. Your mom loves your more than anything else in this world, and never forget that." Alex finished, making tears fill Miley's eyes.

"Thank you, Alex. You have no idea how much that means to me." Miley said to her. She was about to say more when her phone rang. Miley looked at the caller ID and smiled as she wiped her tears away.

"Hey Mom. What's up?" Miley answered. Alex smiled and stood up and walked away to give Miley a bit of privacy. She walked over and got Haylee, then walked back over to Miley, who was off the phone by then. She was smiling.

"My mom's coming to pick me up, and we're going out to eat for dinner. She should be here in just a second." Miley told Alex, who smiled at her.

"See? What did I tell you?" Alex asked with a smile. Miley grinned and pulled Alex into a hug.

"Thanks for everything, Alex." Miley told her. Alex smiled once they pulled away.

"Why are you thanking me? You're the one who made me feel a million times better about my whole messed up life. I should be thanking you." Alex said. Miley grinned.

"But you made me see that my mom could never hate me." Miley told her with a smile. Alex grinned at her. Then, they heard a car honk. Miley looked over and saw her mom in the driver's seat and smiled.

"I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow at school. Thanks for everything. And, bye-bye pretty Haylee. I hope to see you again sometime." Miley told Alex and Haylee, making Haylee giggle, then ran off and got in the car with her mom. Alex watched as their car left, and then she looked down at Haylee and smiled. She felt much better.

"You ready to head home and eat some of Mommy's grilled cheese?" Alex asked Haylee, who smiled.

"Yay!" Haylee squealed, making Alex giggle. She started walking towards the parking lot.

"Alex! Wait!" Alex heard someone call. Confused, she turned around to see Nate running up to her. Her look of confusion quickly turned to a look of hatred an anger. She glared at him. Only Mitchie would be able to see the hurt and broken look in her eyes. Nate walked closer to her.

"What, are you here to yell at me some more? Here to tell me that you can't stand the sight of me?" Alex sneered at him. He expected that reaction from her, but how angry she sounded still kind of surprised him.

"Alex, I'm not here to yell at you or to tell you that I can't stand you. I'm here to tell you that…" Nate started, but Alex cut him off as she walked away.

"Just save it, Nate. I really could care less about what you came to tell me. I have to get home and make dinner for my daughter." Alex said as she turned and walked towards her car. After she said that, Nate's eyes traveled down to the little girl in Alex's arms. He still couldn't believe that Alex had a little girl. Nate watched her, trying to think of some way to stop her.

"But Alex, I'm…." Nate started, but Alex cut him off once again. She was already at her car, but she whirled around and glared at him.

"I said to save it, Nate! In case you don't know, that means that I don't want to hear what you have to say. I've already had a bad day, and I don't need your stupid insults to make it worse. Now leave me alone!" Alex yelled at him, then turned back around, unlocked her door, and buckled Haylee into the car then got inside herself. She sat there for a minute, taking deep breaths, then she started her car and drove off.

Nate just stood there, knowing good and well that he deserved to have Alex yell at him like that. But, even though she was mad at him, Nate was determined to tell Alex he was sorry. He knew that there was a good chance that she wouldn't forgive him, but he needed her to know how he felt.

**A/N: See, Nate is human. He actually feels bad about what he did to Alex. But, will she forgive him? That's the big question floating around in everyone's head. You'll just have to keep reading and find out. (:**

**Thanks again for yall's sweet reviews, story-favorites, and story-alerts. I love y'all! (:**

**And, for those of you that also read my other story, 'You Are The Music In Me', the new chapter should be out within the next few days. I'm not quite finished with it yet. (:**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing what you think, even if you're telling me that you think my story stinks more than a week-old bologna sandwich.**

**-Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…..**

"_Now, I want you to go find your little girl and look into her sweet face and realize that everything is going to be okay." _

…_**..**_

"_Honey, Kevin's here. He's here in California." _

…_**..**_

"_I'm not going to let him hurt you again, Lexie. He won't get anywhere near you, okay?" _

…_**..**_

"_I can only take so much before I break, Nate! I'm not Supergirl, and I'm not Spiderman. I'm only human, and I'm about to reach my breaking point! Please, I really just don't have the energy to fight right now. Just, leave me alone."_

…_**..**_

"_I just wish that she'd stop and let me tell her that." _


	5. He's Back

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 4: He's Back**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: I hope y'all like this episode! Drama, Drama, Drama. (:**

**izzyfiorent: Aww! Haha, thank-youu! It makes me happy that you like it so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! (:**

**Maya07: Thank-youu! And, trust me, there is plenty of drama on the way! Haha. I hope you like this chapter too! (:**

**CRazY dANcE: Hahaha. (: Here's the update you asked for! I hope you like it! (:**

**Thanks for yall's sweet reviews! They seriously made my bad day turn good! I even tweeted about y'all! By the way, if yall want to follow me on twitter, my username is jordanclaire887 . Follow me!**

**Anywayss, enjoy this chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! (:**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Camp Rock or Wizards of Waverly Place. I do own Haylee, and I do own the idea for this story and for the chapters I have written. But I don't own anything else. (:

**STARTING STORY:**

"Alex! Thank God you're home! I have to talk to you like now." Mitchie told Alex the second she stepped into the house. She had been sitting on the couch waiting for Alex ever since she got home from the Grey's. Alex looked at her weirdly, then set Haylee down. She ran off to play. Mitchie grabbed Alex's hand and pulled her upstairs, not stopping until they were inside Mitchie's bedroom with the door closed. Alex was beyond confused by now.

"Mitchie, what the heck is going on? Why do you look so freaked out?" Alex asked her, wondering what could fluster her usually put-together friend so much. Mitchie took a deep breath, then looked at Alex.

"Um, have you looked at you phone since you left the house earlier?" Mitchie asked her. Alex furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She glanced at it. 78 missed calls, 94 text messages, and 23 voice-mails. What the heck? Alex glanced up at Mitchie, thoroughly confused.

"Okay, please, please, please don't freak out too much." Mitchie pleaded with Alex. That made Alex even more confused.

"Just tell me what's going on." Alex told her. Mitchie sighed.

"Nate told everyone at school about Haylee." Mitchie told Alex quietly. Alex's eyes widened in complete and utter shock. Just when she was starting to fee better, something like this had to happen. Alex knew that Nate said he was going to tell everybody, but she thought he was just bluffing. She didn't think he'd actually do it.

"WHAT?" Alex screamed in a tone that made Mitchie wince. The secret she had been keeping for 2 years, the secret that could make her remaining year at high-school a living hell… wasn't a secret anymore. The worst part, the guy she thought she could actually trust with something this big, even though he's hurt her plenty of times before, was the one who told. The guy who she used to consider her best friend in the entire world was the one who told.

"Lex, just calm down. It's all gonna be okay." Mitchie said, trying to calm Alex down. Alex sighed as, once again, tears rushed to her eyes and down her cheeks. She slowly sunk down and sat on the carpet. Mitchie sighed and sat down next to her, pulling her into a hug.

"How on earth am I supposed to calm down? This is gonna make my life at school terrible, Mitchie! Everyone's gonna assume that I'm a skank or a whore or a s-s-slut now! Mitchie, the few people that do ask me about how Haylee was created can't even know the truth. W-what am I going to do?" Alex asked Mitchie through tears, her voice cracking at the end. Mitchie just hugged Alex and stroked her hair as she cried. Yeah, Nate told her he was going to tell everyone else, but Alex didn't think he'd actually do it.

"Why does it matter what they think, Lex? Their opinions aren't important. You have me and Shane and Haylee and your parents and Justin and Max. Those are the opinions that should matter. And, no matter what you do or what you choose, we will be behind you supporting you one-hundred percent. The people at school have three whole weeks to get used to the fact that you have a daughter, and we don't even have to be there while they do. Sure, when we go back in three weeks it's going to be tough. But, who ever said life was easy?" Mitchie said as she looked at Alex. She wiped her tears then.

"Now, I want you to go find your little girl and look into her sweet face and realize that everything is going to be okay." Mitchie told Alex. Alex wiped her eyes as they pulled apart, and smiled a little at Mitchie.

"Thanks, Mitchie." Alex told her softly. Mitchie smiled at her best friend, her sister. She would do anything in the world to get her out of her current situation. She hated to see her so upset. But, since she can't do anything to get Alex out of it, she's doing the only thing she can do. She's reassuring her and loving her as a sister unconditionally and making her look on the bright side of things.

"No problem, Lexie. I'm always here for you when you need me." Mitchie told her. Alex smiled, then took a deep breath and stood up left Mitchie's room.

She went downstairs and into the living room, where she found her beautiful little girl, her inspiration and her reason to make it through everything bad that was going on, sitting in her little pink chair watching 'The Little Mermaid'. Alex smiled and walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the carpet.

"Hey, Haybear?" Alex asked. Haylee took her attention away from the TV, and she looked at Alex.

"Yeah, Mommy?" Haylee replied. Alex smiled a little.

"You know I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything else in this world, right?" Alex asked her daughter, knowing that Haylee probably didn't understand what she was asking. Alex just needed to hear Haylee say that she knew.

"I know, Momma. I wove you." Haylee replied, making Alex's eyes fill with happy tears. Alex smiled.

"I love you too, my little princess." Alex told Haylee, then smiled when Haylee turned her attention back to the TV. Alex then stroked Haylee's hair and stood back up. She walked into the kitchen and made herself busy making Haylee's heart-shaped grilled cheese.

_Later on that night, Around 9:30…_

Alex was laying in her bed listening to music and writing in her journal. She had given Haylee a bath after her dinner, then put her to bed. She was almost done writing, when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in!" Alex called as she shut her journal and set it on her desk. A second later, Mrs. Russo walked into the room. She shut the door behind her, and as she walked by Alex's stereo, she turned it off. As the music died, Mrs. Russo sat down next to her daughter in bed.

She was being unusually quiet, and once she sat down, she pulled Alex into a hug. Alex started to get worried when she heard her mom begin sniffling.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Alex asked her once they pulled apart. Mrs. Russo wiped her tears and looked into her daughter's face. She pushed a piece of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear.

"Alex, honey, I have to tell you something. And, I'm afraid it isn't good news." Mrs. Russo told Alex, who got even more worried after her mom said that.

"Okay, then. What's wrong?" Alex asked her slowly, wondering if she really wanted to know what was wrong or not. Mrs. Russo sighed and took a deep breath before she began.

"Honey, Kevin's here. He's here in California." Mrs. Russo got out. After those words left Mrs. Russo's mouth, Alex felt like the whole world stopped spinning. The guy that caused her so much pain and made her life a living hell, where she was constantly afraid of everyone, had found her.

"What?" Alex whispered, feeling like that was all she could do. She was running out of strength. Mrs. Russo sighed sadly and grabbed her daughter's hand.

"Somehow, he figured out that we live here. I saw him today while I was driving back home. He was standing by a big moving truck in the driveway of one of the houses about 3 miles from here." Mrs. Russo told Alex. Alex felt tears running down her cheeks, but she was too much in shock to care and wipe the, away.

"M-Maybe it wasn't really him." Alex said, wishing that what she said was true. But by the look of pain on her mom's face, it wasn't true.

"I'm so sorry, Alex." was all Mrs. Russo said. Alex sat there for a minute, letting everything that her mom just told her sink in, then shakily stood up. She wiped her tears away, even though they seemed to just come right back, and looked at her mom.

"I-Is it okay if I go out for a while? I-I'll be back before… before midnight." Alex asked her mom as she slid on her peace sign flip-flops. Her mom stood up and walked over to her, pushing a piece of hair out of her face and looking at her worriedly. She could tell that Alex was trying to be strong.

"I suppose that's alright. Are you sure you're okay to drive, honey?" Mrs. Russo asked Alex. Alex nodded her head as she let her hair out of her pony-tail and let it fall down over her shoulders.

"Yeah. I'm not going very far. Just call me if Haylee needs me." Alex told her mom as she grabbed her car keys, phone, and wallet. Mrs. Russo nodded, and Alex walked out of her room and downstairs.

She quickly walked through the front door of her house and into her car. Once the doors were locked and she was buckled in, Alex sighed and let herself cry. She cried for about twenty minutes, before she started her car and backed out of her driveway. She began driving a familiar route, forcing herself not to cry on the way so she'd be able to see clearly.

Alex arrived at the Grey residence just a few minutes later and parked her car behind Shane's. She then got out and walked to their front door and knocked on it. A second later, someone answered it. The someone that answered it was the very last person Alex wanted to see.

"Alex! W-What are you doing here?" Nate asked her, surprised to see her there so late. Alex sighed a little and wiped her falling tears away. She could see the hopeful look in his eyes, like he wished that she'd come there to see him. Nate noticed her tears then and looked at her in concern.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Nate asked her worriedly. Alex shook her head at him in annoyance.

"I'm here to see Shane." Alex told Nate coldly, then pushed past him and walked inside.

She knew exactly where Shane's room was and ran straight upstairs to it. She could hear Nate calling her from behind, but she just ignored him and walked up to Shane's door. Without knocking, she walked inside. He was sitting in his bed, playing his guitar. He looked up when he heard her walk in, then furrowed his eyebrows in worry when he saw tears steadily trickling down her cheeks. Setting his guitar aside, he quickly got up and ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her cold arms.

"Lexie, what's wrong?" Shane asked her in concern as he hugged her tightly and stroked her back. Alex, who was crying too hard to say anything, just shook her head. Shane reached down and picked Alex up, carried her over to his bed, then sat down with her in his lap. He held her and let her cry while he stroked her back. Once she was calmed down, she sat up and wiped her eyes. Shane wiped a tear she missed, then looked at her worriedly.

"What happened, Lex?" Shane asked her. Alex took a deep breath and forced her tears away.

"He-he's h-here, Shane. He's here." Alex said as more tears fell. Shane looked at her in confusion and continued to wipe her tears away.

"Who's here, Lex?" Shane asked her worriedly. Alex sighed and wiped more tears.

"Haylee's d-dad. He's here." Alex replied, her voice breaking at the end. She threw her arms around Shane then, letting more tears out.

Shane hugged her tightly, and he never wanted to let go. The bastard that hurt his 'little sister' and caused her so much emotional trauma was there in California. He wanted to kill him. But, before anything else, he wanted to keep Alex and her little girl safe. He couldn't let that piece of crap get to them. He just couldn't.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you again, Lexie. He won't get anywhere near you, okay?" Shane asked him, feeling an extreme amount of hatred for Haylee's father. Alex pulled away from Shane and let him wipe her eyes.

"Promise?" Alex asked him. Shane felt tears prick the back of his eyes as he looked into Alex's face. She looked so scared and hurt; it hurt Shane to see her like that.

"I swear, Alex. He won't get anywhere near you if I have anything to do with it." Shane promised her. Alex nodded her head at him, then wiped at her eyes again. She then glanced down at her watch and sighed.

"I guess I should be getting home now. Haylee's been waking up in the middle of the night with nightmares all week. She'll probably need me." Alex said to Shane, her mom-mode kicking in.

Shane smiled a small sympathetic smile at Alex as she got up off his lap. Shane then stood up and wrapped his arms tightly around her one last time before she left. Alex sighed and hugged him back. She could always count on Shane, her 'big brother', to make her feel better when she needed it.

"Thank-you, Shane. Thank-you so, so much for everything. For not hating me and for not judging me instantly and for being the rock I need you to be for me." Alex murmured as more tears came to her eyes. She sniffled again, then pulled away from Shane. He smiled and wiped her tears away again.

"I'll always be your rock, Lexie. Always." Shane promised her, and she smiled a tiny smile at him.

"Bye, Shane." Alex told him quietly as she turned and left his room. She made her way back downstairs and into the living room.

"Alex! Wait!" Alex heard Nate call from the couch as she passed by it. Taking a deep breath, Alex turned to face him. He stood up and walked over to her, placing a hand on her arm. She quickly pushed it off and took a few steps back.

"Nate, I don't have anything to say to you. I'm exhausted, and I need to get home to my little girl." Alex told him coldly, then turned around. She started to walk to the door, when she heard Nate again and she stopped.

"Why won't you just listen to me?" he asked her, starting to sound aggravated. She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them back up and turned back around to face him.

"I can only take so much before I break, Nate! I'm not Supergirl, and I'm not Spiderman. I'm only human, and I'm about to reach my breaking point! Please, I really just don't have the energy to fight right now. Just, leave me alone." Alex told him, tears filling her eyes now. Nate took a step closer to her, and she pushed him away.

"Alex-" he started, but she cut him off.

"I said to just leave me alone! The only time I'm going to listen to you is tomorrow at 4, during tutoring. And, that's only going to be about Algebra." Alex told him, raising her voice, then turning back around and quickly leaving the house.

She ran straight to her car, buckled herself in, and drove back to her house. She didn't start crying again until her car was parked in its spot in the driveway.

_Back at the Grey residence…._

"Shane, what's wrong with Alex? Why is she so upset?" Nate asked his brother just a few minutes after Alex left. Shane sighed and looked at his brother standing in the doorway.

"Nate, I don't think Alex wants-" Shane started, but Nate cut him off.

"I don't care what Alex wants! Someone hurt her, Shane. Someone hurt my best friend, and if she's not going to tell me what's wrong, then someone else is going to have to." Nate said to Shane, visibly upset. Shane sighed and pat the spot next to him on the bed. Nate walked over and sat down.

"The guy that raped her apparently never went to prison for it. And, he's here in California, close to where Alex lives. She's scared that he's gonna try and hurt her again, or even Haylee." Shane told Nate slowly. Once Nate processed what Shane told him, he began to shake. He stood up and paced back and forth, running a hand through his hair shakily as he did so.

"What? No! No! We can't let him hurt them again, Shane! We can't! She's already been through so much, and…" Nate started, but trailed off as he felt tears running down his face. Yes, the tough popular jerk was crying. And over a girl who didn't want anything at all to do with him.

Shane stood up and walked over to his little brother, pulling him into a hug.

"Shhh. It's okay, Nate. We're not going to let anyone get to Alex or Haylee. Everything's okay." Shane said to Nate, trying to calm him down. The truth was, he wanted to cry like Nate was, but he couldn't let himself do it in front of Nate. He was supposed to be the strong one, or as Alex put it, the Rock.

Nate pulled away from Shane and wiped his eyes. Shane looked at him closely and sighed quietly.

"You really care about her. You really care about Alex, don't you?" Shane asked Nate, who sighed and nodded.

"I just wish that she'd stop and let me tell her that." Nate replied.

_Back with Alex…_

"Momma? What doing?" little Haylee asked Alex in the dark. Once Alex had gotten home, she went into her little girl's room and sat down beside her bed, just watching her sleep. She does this pretty often, her sleeping little girl calming her down and making her forget all the hell she's been put through. Alex smiled and reached over and stroked Haylee's hair.

"Shhh. Go back to sleep, angel. I love you." Alex whispered to Haylee. Haylee just nodded as she yawned a big yawn.

"I wove you too, Momma." Haylee said quietly as she fell back to sleep. Alex smiled as a few tears came down her cheeks.

As she watched her little girl fall back asleep, Alex knew that one thing was for sure. She could NOT let Kevin get his hands on Haylee. She realized then that, no matter what, if it came down to Haylee's life or hers, she'd do everything in her power to make Kevin take hers.

"Momma?" Haylee asked quietly into the darkness again. Alex wiped away her tears and looked at Haylee.

"What is it, sweetie?" Alex asked her. Haylee yawned again.

"Will you always wove me?" Haylee asked Alex, who rubbed a finger over Haylee's forehead.

"Always and forever, baby girl. Always and forever." Alex replied. Alex could see Haylee smile, then close her eyes and fall back asleep.

Alex spent another hour watching Haylee sleep, then went on to bed herself. Of course, she didn't get any sleep between tossing and turning and crying.

**A/N: Andd, that's it for this episode. I hope y'all liked it! Andd, please review!**

**Sorry it's taken so long for me to update. I meant to put this out before now, but I've just been so busy and tired. I'll try not to wait so long before the next update. (:**

**Andd, Demi Lovato is out of the Treatment Center! Apparently, she's doing MUCH better! That's just some INCREDIBLE news! (:**

**-Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode….**

"_Girls, are you sure you'll be okay without us here for three weeks?"_

…

"_I guess Shane and Nate will provide sufficient protection for you girls until we get back, but I'd feel better if we were here for you." _

…_._

"_Just thought I'd let you know that your Prince Charming and his evil-not-step-brother have arrived. Your prince is in the guest bedroom downstairs." _

…_._

"_Alex, please just talk to me!"_

…_._

"_Momma, who's my daddy?"_


	6. Bad Dream

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 5: Bad Dream**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Sorry it's been sooo longgg! I hope you enjoy this episode! Andd, thank-you VERY MUCH to the reviewers, story-alerters, story-favoriters, and to the people that read it, but don't do any of that. I love you all! (:**

**butterflygurl2468: **Thank-you sooooo much! :D Your review made me smile. (: I'm glad to hear that it has just the right amount of drama; that's what I was aiming for. (: I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! :D

**Maya07: **Hahaha, I'm glad you told me that it was World Yoga Day. I told all my family, seriously. :D I like randomness. (: I'm soooo happy you like my story! I hope you like this chapter! Andd, there's EVEN MORE drama ahead… (:

**CRazY dANcE: **Here's the update you asked for. I hope you like itttt! :D

**BlueStarProductions: **I plan to continue writing on it. (: I'm glad you like it so far! I hope this chapter is as good as the rest! :D

**Ally-Woods-rox: **Thank-youuu! :D I like hearing that the storyline is different; I don't like writing what everyone else is writing. (: Enjoy this chapter! :D

**More drama ahead… (:**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own WOWP or Camp Rock. Even though I wish I did. (:

**STARTING STORY:**

_The next day…_

"Girls, are you sure you'll be okay without us here for three weeks? I mean, we can always cancel the sandwich convention." Mrs. Russo asked Mitchie and Alex worriedly. She, Mr. Russo, and Max were already packed for the sandwich convention in New York, and their plane was leaving in just a little while. Mitchie and Alex had convinced them to go, even though Kevin was in town.

"We're positive. This convention is really important for the SubStation. Yall have to go." Mitchie told them for about the billionth time. Mr. Russo looked from Alex to Mitchie, then back to Alex.

"I guess Shane and Nate will provide sufficient protection for you girls until we get back, but I'd feel better if we were here for you." Mr. Russo said. Alex's eyes widened in confusion when she heard that. Mrs. Russo had arranged for Shane and Nate to come stay with the girls until they got back from New York. They'd be coming over with their things after school. Unfortunately for Alex, she didn't know that Nate was staying with them. She thought it was only Shane.

"Wait, did you say Shane AND Nate?" Alex asked them in confusion. Mrs. Russo nodded.

"Yes, honey. We thought that you girls would be safer if both of the boys were here, not just one." she replied. Alex closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again. She couldn't worry her parents by telling them that she and Nate weren't getting along, so she just forced a smile on her face.

"That's… great." Alex forced herself to say. Mrs. Russo was about to say more when Mr. Russo glanced down at his watch, then cleared his throat. He looked at Mrs. Russo.

"We should be getting to the airport now." Mr. Russo told her. Mrs. Russo nodded her head, then wrapped her arms around Mitchie and Alex tightly.

"Be good, my girls." she told them, then pulled away from them. Mitchie and Alex smiled, then nodded.

"You girls stay safe, and call us if you need anything or if anything goes wrong. And, those boys are to be sleeping in the guest bedroom, not in your rooms. Got it?" Mr. Russo warned the girls, mainly Mitchie. Mitchie blushed a deep red and nodded her head.

"Got it." Mitchie replied quietly, feeling embarrassed.

"Gwandma! Gwandpa! Wait!" everyone heard Haylee call as she ran up to them. She was holding her stuffed pink frog that she bought from the dollar store when Alex gave her some money. She held it up, and Mrs. Russo smiled and took it.

"Pwease dwon't forget me." Haylee told them as she handed the frog to them. Everyone laughed at that, and both Mr. and Mrs. Russo bent down and hugged the little girl.

"We could never forget you, Haylee. You're too special." Mr. Russo told her, making her smile.

"We'll take really good care of your frog, Haylee. Thank-you." Mrs. Russo told the little girl with a smile. Haylee grinned, and Mr. and Mrs. Russo stood back up. Mitchie reached over and ruffled Max's hair.

"You be good, Maxie. Don't break too many New York girls' hearts." she told him, laughing when he automatically reached up to fix his hair. Once he had it fixed, Alex reached over and ruffled it.

"And don't you let those older boys intimidate you." Alex told him teasingly, laughing when he blushed and reached up to fix his hair again.

"We've really got to be get going. You girls be good." Mr. Russo said to Alex, Mitchie, and Haylee as he started picking up suitcases. Mrs. Russo and Max did the same, and they all headed out to the car. Once the car was all packed up, they got inside and drove off.

Once they were gone, Alex and Mitchie stepped back inside and closed the door behind them. Haylee looked up at Alex, who smiled down at her.

"Momma, I go watch Dora, otay?" Haylee asked Alex, who smiled.

"Okay, Haybear. I'll call you once I have the pancakes ready." Alex told the smiling Haylee, who nodded and ran off. Alex walked into the kitchen, and Mitchie followed behind her.

"Lex, are you sure you're okay with Nate staying here with us too?" Mitchie asked her. Alex looked at her, then nodded.

"I kinda have to be okay with it. If it's going to keep us and my daughter safer, then I'll deal with it. Plus, no one said I wasn't allowed to avoid him like the plague." Alex replied. Mitchie giggled and nodded her head, then looked closely at her best friend. She looked exhausted, like she didn't get any sleep at all last night. Now that Mitchie thought about it, she probably didn't get any sleep worrying about Kevin being so close to her and Haylee. Mitchie sighed and put a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Lex, you look exhausted. Why don't you go watch TV with Haylee, and I'll make breakfast." Mitchie told Alex, who looked at her.

"Are you sure? I mean, it doesn't take that long to make pancakes. I think I can handle it." Alex asked Mitchie as she picked up a measuring cup. Mitchie reached over and took the measuring cup away from her, then pointed in the direction of the living room.

"Go." Mitchie told her. Alex sighed, giving in, then walked into the living room. She sat down on the couch next to Haylee. It wasn't long before she fell asleep like that.

_Later on, around 4:00.…_

"And they all lived happily ever after. The end." Alex said with a smile, then closed the book she had been reading to Haylee. Her nap lasted about 20 minutes, when Haylee fell and started crying really loudly, waking her up. Haylee grinned and looked up at her mommy.

"Mommy, have you ever been in wove wike Cinderella?" Haylee asked her. Alex smiled down at her little girl.

"Haylee, I'm gonna teach you something now that I want you to remember always. When you're young, or even my age, you won't know what love is just yet. But, when the right person comes along, you'll just know that you're in love with him. And, it won't matter what he looks like or how rich or poor his family is. It'll depend on how he makes you feel when you're with him. Do you think you can remember that for mommy?" Alex asked Haylee, who smiled and nodded. Alex grinned and leaned down and kissed Haylee's forehead.

"Good girl. Now, why don't you go find Auntie Mitchie and get her to sing you that song she promised to sing to you, alright?" Alex asked her. Haylee nodded and got off Alex's lap. She ran upstairs to find Mitchie. Just a second after she left, the doorbell rang. Alex stood up, put Haylee's book on the bookshelf in the living room, then ran to answer the door. It was Shane and Nate, carrying suitcases. Alex opened the door wider to let them in, then closed it behind them.

As soon as Shane set his suitcases down, Alex reached up and hugged him tightly. He really did make her feel better last night. When they pulled apart, Alex grinned.

"Okay, so there's one guest room upstairs and one down here. Yall can decide who gets which one." Alex told them. Shane looked at Nate, then back at Alex with a grin.

"I'm taking the one down here." Shane told them as he lifted his suitcases back up then turned and smirked at Nate.

"Good luck carrying your suitcases upstairs." Shane told him, then walked off smirking happily. Nate rolled his eyes, then looked at Alex.

"So, where's the guest room?" Nate asked her. Alex looked at him, her smile disappearing.

"Follow me." Alex replied coldly. Nate nodded and picked his suitcases back up. He followed Alex upstairs and into the guest bedroom right beside her bedroom. Alex looked at him after he stepped inside and set his suitcases down.

"The bathroom's down the hall, and the library and movie room is downstairs. If you take something from it, be sure and put it back. Other than that, we can do your tutoring tonight after Haylee's asleep, and dinner will be ready in about an hour." Alex told Nate, then started to walk away. Nate's voice stopped her.

"Alex, can I talk to you?" he asked her. Alex sighed, then answered without turning around.

"No." she replied. She heard Nate sigh.

"Alex, please just talk to me!" Nate said frustrated, begging her. Alex sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. Then, without turning around, she responded again.

"No." she said for the second time, then walked down the hallway and into Mitchie's room quickly before Nate could say anything else to her.

Alex smiled when she walked into the room and heard Haylee singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' to Mitchie.

"Hey, I thought Aunt Mitchie was supposed to be singing to you." Alex told Haylee teasingly. Haylee started grinning and got off Mitchie's bed and ran over to Alex, who smiled and picked her up. Alex then looked over at Mitchie.

"Just thought I'd let you know that your Prince Charming and his evil-not-step-brother have arrived. Your prince is in the guest bedroom downstairs." Alex told Mitchie, who giggled.

"I thought Shane was gonna take the bedroom up here." Mitchie said, a little confused. Alex smiled at her.

"That was before he realized that he'd have to carry his suitcases all the way up the stairs in order to do that." Alex replied with a smile. Mitchie rolled her eyes playfully.

"Lazy, lazy boyfriend." she muttered, making Alex laugh. She then glanced down at her little girl balanced on her hip.

"You wanna go help Momma make dinner, Haybear?" Alex asked Haylee, who smiled.

"Cwan we have pasghetti?" Haylee asked Alex excitedly, making her laugh.

"I don't see why we can't have spaghetti, baby girl." Alex replied with a smile. Haylee cheered happily as Alex carried her out of Mitchie's bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen.

When they got in the kitchen, Alex set Haylee down on the counter and began getting out the ingredients for spaghetti.

"Momma?" Haylee asked Alex as Alex put some water in a pot on the stove to boil. Alex looked over at Haylee.

"What is it, Haybear?" Alex asked her.

"Who the evwil bwother?" Haylee asked her. Alex furrowed her eyebrows, with a confused smile.

"The evil brother? What are you talking about, sweetie?" Alex asked her.

"In Aunt Mitchie's rwoom, you said that pwince charwming and his evwil bwother were here." Haylee replied. Once Alex understood what Haylee was asking, she started laughing.

"No one, sweetie. You can call him Nate." Alex replied, smiling. Haylee nodded her head.

"Mommy?" Haylee asked again a minute later. Alex looked over at her, then turned her attention back to the spaghetti noodles boiling on the stove.

"Yes, Haylee?" Alex asked her.

"Can I go pway?" Haylee asked her. Alex giggled and walked over to Haylee. She lifted her down off the counter and onto the ground.

"You can go play, honey, but don't bother our guests too much, okay?" Alex asked Haylee, who giggled and nodded. Alex smiled as Haylee ran off, then walked back over to the stove.

Alex finished the spaghetti at exactly 5:00. She then set the table and headed upstairs to find Haylee. She stopped in Mitchie's room first. When she walked in there, Mitchie and Shane were cuddled together on Mitchie's bed watching a movie. Alex smiled at them.

"Hey Romeo and Juliet, dinner's ready." Alex told them with a smile. Mitchie looked over at her and grinned.

"Okay, we'll be down there in a minute." Mitchie replied.

Alex smiled and headed for Haylee's bedroom. She searched around in there, and couldn't find Haylee. Confused, Alex left Haylee's room and went to look in her own room. When she didn't find Haylee in there either, she started to get worried.

She calmed down a second later when she heard Haylee's giggles coming from the room Nate was staying in. Alex quietly opened the door and looked inside. Haylee was on Nate's lap, and he was reading her a storybook.

Alex didn't know what to think of what she saw. On one hand, she felt happy that her best friend… ex-best friend.. Was treating her daughter better than he treated her. But, on the other hand, she didn't want her worst enemy to have his hands on her little girl.

"Nate?" little Haylee asked. Alex stood closer to the opening in the door to hear.

"Yes, Haylee?" Nate asked her.

"How cwome Momma doesn't wike you?" Haylee asked him. Alex saw hurt fill Nate's eyes, and she saw him try and hide it.

"What makes you think that your Momma doesn't like me, Haylee?" Nate asked her. Little Haylee sighed.

"Becwause you yelled at her the other day. And, you mwade her cry. And, she called you the evwil bwother." Haylee replied. Nate looked even more hurt after Haylee said that, and he tried even harder to hide it. Nate then sighed and looked at Haylee.

"Haylee, your Momma and I were best friends back when we were just a little older than you are now. It changed when we got older and went into junior high. I wanted to be one of the popular kids, but that meant not being friends with you Momma anymore. So, I was dumb, and I stopped being friends with her. We fought a lot, and we didn't like each other at all anymore. But, what she doesn't know is that I've been trying to apologize for a while now." Nate replied to the little girl in his lap. Haylee looked at him.

"How come, you havewn't told Momma you sorry yet?" Haylee asked him. Nate looked into Haylee's eyes; they were the exact same as Alex's.

"I've been trying, Haylee. I've been trying. And, I don't plan to give up until she knows just how sorry I am." Nate replied. Haylee smiled and hugged Nate. It stunned him for a second, but then he smiled and hugged the little girl, Alex's little girl, back.

Out in the hallway, Alex was shocked at what she heard. Nate had been trying to apologize to her? That must've been what he was trying to do when she wouldn't let him talk to her.

Pushing all that aside, Alex knocked on the bedroom door, then walked inside.

"Dinner's ready. Haybear, come with me and we'll get your hands washed." Alex said. Haylee nodded and walked over to Alex. Alex picked her up and balanced her on her hip, then looked at Nate.

"There's a place set for you at the table in the dining room." was all she said to him, before she carried Haylee out of the room and downstairs. Nate smiled after her, then got up and went downstairs to the dining room himself.

_Later on that night…._

Alex had put Haylee to bed a little while ago. She just finished changing into a tank-top and shorts, her pajamas, and straightening up her room, when there was a knock at her door. Alex walked over and answered it. It was Nate, and he was holding his Algebra book and a pencil.

"Umm, is it time for tutoring?" Nate asked her. Alex nodded her head and let him in, closing the door behind him.

"We can work on my bed. Just let me grab my calculator and some paper." Alex told him. Nate nodded and sat down on Alex's bed. He opened his book to the page they'd been working on as Alex sat down next to him with he calculator, pencil, and paper.

"Okay, let's start with…" Alex started, but was cut off by Haylee's screams coming from down the hallway. Alex automatically jumped up off her bed and ran down the hallways to Haylee's bedroom. Flipping on the light, she got down on her knees next to Haylee's bed and shook her awake.

"Wake up, sweetie. Haybear, wake up." Alex said as Haylee's eyes opened. She then started crying and threw her arms around her mommy.

"It's okay, Haybear. It was just a bad dream. Mommy's here." Alex said to the crying toddler and she stroked her back. Haylee pulled away and looked at Alex with fearful eyes.

"Momma, there was a mwan, and he chwased me, and he kwept saying he was my daddy." Haylee said through tears, then threw her arms around Alex again. Alex hugged her little girl close to her and tried to calm her down.

"Everything's okay, sweetie. You're safe right here with me. No man is ever going to hurt you, baby. Momma's going to make sure of it." Alex said to Haylee. But on the inside, Alex was terrified. After hearing about Haylee's dream, Alex's mind kept flashing back to the night Haylee's dad raped her.

"Pwomise?" Haylee asked her as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. Alex reached down and kissed Haylee's nose.

"I promise, baby. You're safe." Alex replied. Haylee finally took a deep breath and looked at Alex.

"Momma, who is my daddy?" Haylee asked her. Alex just sat there for a moment, deciding on how to answer her daughter. She couldn't very well tell her the truth.

"Umm, sweetie, your daddy wasn't a very nice man. He hurt people and made them sad. But, I don't want you to think that you're like him, okay? You're the sweetest little girl in the world." Alex replied, hoping she chose right not to lie and tell Haylee that her father was a good man. Haylee looked at Alex.

"Otay, Momma. I wove you." Haylee said to Alex with a big yawn. Alex giggled a little and laid Haylee back down in her bed.

"I love you too, Haybear. Sweet dreams." Alex said to her. Haylee cuddled down in her bed and yawned again. In just a few minutes, Haylee was sound asleep again. Alex quietly got up and left her room, shutting the light off and shutting the door on her way out. When she got into the hallway, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to make all of the bad memories go away. Unfortunately for her, they wouldn't.

"Are you okay?" Alex heard a voice ask from beside her. She looked over and saw Nate standing there. Alex was about to lie and say yes, but she already felt tears filling her eyes. She realized that she needed her old best friend; she needed Nate. She slowly shook her head no and slid down the wall in tears. Nate quickly walked over and sat down next to her. He pulled her into his lap and hugged her close to him as she cried. He wished more than anything that he could take all her pain away.

As Nate held her he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so, so sorry Allie. I'm so, so sorry, Allie." he repeated those words the entire time as he held her and kissed her head. Then, realizing just how much Alex had been hurt, slow tears slipped out of Nate's eyes too.

One thing was for sure. He wasn't ever going to let her get this hurt again. Ever.

**A/N: Andd, that's it for this chapter. I hope y'all liked it! More drama ahead, which you could probably guess from the previews. **

**Thank you all for your sweet reviews, favorite stories, and story-alerts! They mean the world to me. (:**

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D**

**Oh yeahh, and Demi Lovato got out of the Treatmeant Center, y'all! That just makes me soo happy! (:**

**-Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

"_Nate, I was wrong. I need you in my life. I need you."_

…_._

"_Momma, there was a man looking in my window!"_

…_._

_"It's been practically forever, Alex. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that beautiful afternoon we shared together." _

….

"_Kevin, put my daughter down now!"_


	7. Numb and Broken

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 6: Numb and Broken**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hello wonderful people that always make me smile. (: It's been , I missed y'all! **

**Here's another update for you. I hope you enjoy it. (: **

**Alex and Nate are becoming closerrr. :D **

**You should see how they're becoming closer as friends. (:**

**Andd, more drama aheadddd… (:**

**CRazY dANcE: **Thank-you for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter! (:

**butterflygurl2468: **Your review made me really happy. You're very sweet. I'm glad you like this story so much! Enjoy this chapter! (:

**BlueStarProductions: **You're super sweet. (: Thank-you very much for the compliment! I hope you like this chapter as much as the others! (:

**Maya07: **Hahaha. (: I like that you like the drama. I'll tell you a secret… I like it too. A story's not really good if it doesn't have at least some drama. (: I hope you like this chapter! (:

**Ally-Woods-rox: **I love that Nate and Alex are bonding, too. (: There'll be much more bonding in the future, believe me. I hope you like this chapter! (:

**unperfectt: **Hahaha. (: Your review was really sweet, and it seriously made me smile. (: I understand how you feel about wanting Alex and Nate to be together, but the story wouldn't be very long if they just instantly got together. It's kind of difficult for me to write them as being just friends, but they'll be together soon enough. (: Thank-you for the sweeettt review, and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**Thank-you to CRazY dANcE, butterflygurl2468, BlueStarProductions, Maya07, Ally-Woods-rox, and unperfectt for you sweet reviews!**

**Also, I'd like to give a BIG shout-out to DAMONsheldonCHUCKxx, who I noticed story-alerted and favorited this story AND 'You Are The Music In Me'. DAMONsheldonCHUCKxx, whoever you are, you rock! (:**

**Y'all are A M A Z I N G , and this chapter is dedicated to y'all! :D**

**Disclaimer: **If WOWP and Camp Rock were mine, I'd be rich. I wouldn't be in my pajamas with my hair up in a messy pony-tail and no make-up on, snuggled in my Snuggie, listening to Taylor Swift, writing this. They're not mine.

**WARNING: There are a couple of parts in here that are sort of mature, and may be offensive to some readers. They're NOT written so that they're rated M, though. Just thought I'd let you know. (:**

**STARTING STORY:**

' "_Stop squirming, you little bitch! You freaking owe this to me!" an extremely strong Kevin spat out through gritted teeth as he forced Alex back down onto her bed. She was dressed in only her underwear, and she was crying hysterically. She kept trying to scream and kick him off of her, but she just wasn't strong enough. She was doomed._

_"This is what you get for saying no to me, you slut! You should have just said yes. You owe it to me! I dated you for over a year!" Kevin told her through gritted teeth. He then smirked as he saw the look of utter terror in her eyes. He started to pull at her underwear, and she pushed his hand away. He slapped her hard on her face, leaving a red mark._

_"You are going to do what I want." He spat out at her, then ripped her underwear off. She let out a sob and squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to get away from this pain. She felt sick and dirty and pathetic. She blamed herself for not having sex with Kevin when he asked her to a week ago. She turned him down because she didn't know if she was really in love or not. She was only 15 for God sakes!_

_Alex bit her lip hard, tears streaming down her face, when she felt him enter her. She wanted to die. She wanted to do anything and everything she possibly could to get the hell out of here. Unfortunately, anything and everything she could do at the moment just wasn't enough._

_She desperately wished that all of this was just a horrific nightmare. She wished someone could just pinch her and she'd wake up._

_But, he had done much worse than pinch her, and she still hadn't woke up. This was just all too real._

_Eventually, he was done. He slipped his pants back on, then turned to her. Smirking at her, he took his pocket knife out of his pants pocket and cut her across her cheek, leaving a bleeding gash._

"_Now you'll remember not to ever say no to me again. The scar will remind you." Kevin said to Alex, smirking more when she began to whimper. Then, his face turned serious._

_"Listen here, bitch. If you so much as hint to the police that I did anything to you, I will come back. And, I will do it again. Got that?" Kevin asked her, glaring at her. She meekly nodded her head and let out another whimper. Kevin smirked again._

_"Good. Thanks for the great time. I truly enjoyed myself." Kevin told her as he smirked evilly. He turned to leave, but then turned back around and looked at her._

"_Slut." he said loudly, then he turned back around and left. He went downstairs and then out her front door like nothing ever happened. He honestly didn't feel any guilt for what he had just done to her._

_As soon as he was gone, Alex slowly and shakily sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest. She reached up and put her hand over the gash he left on her cheek._

_Right at that moment, Alex wanted to die._

_She sat there just like that for a while before she finally let out a cry. And then another, and then another. Finally, she just broke down and sobbed and sobbed, her own tears stinging the gash on her cheeks and making her choke._

_This is exactly how Mitchie found her three hours later, still sobbing.' …_

"Alex! Alex, wake up! Alex!'' Alex's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up to see Nate standing over her looking worried.

Alex sat up and wiped her eyes, noticing that they and her cheeks were wet with tears. That's when she remembered what her dream was about; the afternoon Haylee was conceived, the afternoon her whole world changed forever.

Alex immediately started shaking as she thought more about everything that happened that afternoon. She felt Nate sit down next to her and pull her into a hug. Nate pretty much guessed what Alex's nightmare had been about, the same thing she had her breakdown about last night, and knew that she needed a hug.

"It.. It was h-horibble, Nate. I-It happened all.. all over ag-again." Alex stuttered as tears slipped out of her eyes and soaked the shoulder of Nate's shirt. Nate was speechless as he stroked Alex's back and hugged her close.

That bastard had found a way to hurt his Allie again, even if it wasn't intentional this time, and there wasn't anything he could do about it but comfort her. That thought almost killed him. He wanted to kill Kevin, then bring him back just to have the pleasure of killing him again.

Seeing her so upset, so broken, made his heart ache. He hadn't realized just how much damage had been done to Alex while they weren't friends, and sadly, he knew that the hurt he saw now was only a fraction of all the hurt she's been through.

"It's okay, Allie. I'm here, and you're safe. I won't let him get to you or your little girl ever again." Nate whispered to her as he stroked her hair.

Alex pulled away a few minutes later and looked at Nate, but then let him pull her back into his embrace.

Burying her face into his chest, she whispered, "Nate, I was wrong. I need you in my life. I need you."

And then, she let all the tears she'd been holding ever since she found out that Kevin was back in town out while she was in Nate's arms. She felt safe there.

"Please, be my best friend again. Please don't leave me again. I need you." Alex said in-between tears.

"Shh. Shh. Everything's okay, Allie. I'm never going to leave you again." Nate whispered as he stroked the back of Alex's head and smiled. Those few words, I need you, were the words he had been yearning for ever since the day he found out about Haylee. Those few words, made his heart feel whole again.

After a few more minutes, Alex pulled away and wiped her eyes. She smiled a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to soak your shirt in tears." Alex said to him, a tiny blush creeping up her cheeks. Nate looked down at his tear-stained shirt, then back up at Alex and grinned.

"Don't be sorry. I'm always here for you, even if it does mean I have to change shirts after every time I see you." Nate said with a smile, earning a small smile out of Alex. She reached up and threw her unruly curls into a messy pony-tail and looked at Nate.

"What time is it?" she asked him. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist, then back up at her.

"A little after noon. Why?" Nate replied. Alex's eyes widened at that, and she threw her blankets off of herself and stood up.

"Oh my gosh, I did not mean to sleep that late. Who's been taking care of Haylee? Did she even have breakfast?" Alex asked, clearly panicked. Nate chuckled a little and stood up himself. He walked over to Alex and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax. I've been taking care of Haylee. She's downstairs in the living room right now watching Dora. And, she had biscuits and sausage for breakfast. She's okay." Nate reassured Alex, watching as she sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank god. Thank-you so much for taking care of her, Nate. That really means a lot." Alex said to him with a smile. He smiled back.

"It was no problem. Now, should we head down there so you can see her?" Nate asked her. Alex smiled and nodded. She followed Nate out of her room and downstairs into the living room. She smiled when she saw Haylee, still dressed in her Tweety Bird pajamas, sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hey Haybear." Alex said, then grinned when she saw Haylee eyes light up and a smile completely take over her face when she saw Alex. She quickly got up and ran into Alex's arms. Alex smiled and stood up with her balanced on her hip.

"I wove you, Mommy." Haylee said to Alex, who smiled. She forced her memories from her nightmare away so she could focus on spending time with her daughter.

"I love you too, Haybear. What do you want to do today?" Alex asked the grinning toddler as she carried her into the kitchen and got a juice box for her.

"I dwon't know. I hungwy." Haylee replied. Alex giggled a little.

"Well, what do you want for lunch?" Alex asked her. Haylee thought for a minute, then her eyes lit up.

"Can we eawt gwilled cheese at the parwk?" Haylee asked Alex excitedly. Alex hesitated a minute, trying to decide if it would be safe to take Haylee out to the park alone with Kevin on the loose and everything. She finally decided it would be okay, thinking that there'd be plenty of mothers with their kids there around this time. He wouldn't dare do anything to her with witnesses around.

"Works for me, Haybear. Why don't we head upstairs to get ready, then I'll make the sandwiches and we can go. Okay?" Alex asked Haylee. Haylee grinned happily.

"Yay!" Haylee squealed as Alex laughed and carried her upstairs. Nate smiled at them as they left. He was happy that Alex had Haylee to cheer her up and keep her moving when she needed it.

Alex came back downstairs about 20 minutes later with Haylee in her arms. Alex was dressed in jeans and a black and white-striped t-shirt with her hair in a side bun with a white headband. Haylee was wearing a purple and white flower dress, and her hair was up in pig-tails. Nate smiled when he saw them enter the room.

When they reached the bottom step, Alex set Haylee down on the ground and looked at her.

"Sweetie, why don't you head to the living room and watch some more Dora while I make the sandwiches? I'm sure Nate will help you find it on the TV." Alex said to Haylee, who nodded and walked over to Nate. She took his hand into her own and practically dragged him into the living room. Alex giggled and walked into the kitchen. She noticed Mitchie sitting at a bar stool, eating a sandwich. She smiled when she saw Alex.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty. How'd you sleep?" Mitchie asked Alex, who grimaced a little as she remembered her nightmare.

"Well, truthfully not so great. But that's not really important anymore. I do have some good news, though." Alex replied with a smile as she turned the stove on and got out bread, butter, cheese, and a pan. Mitchie looked at her with her eyebrows raised in interest.

"Good news? What good news?" Mitchie asked her. Alex smiled at her from over her shoulder as she started buttering the bread.

"Me and Nate are best friends again." Alex replied. Mitchie's eyes widened and a surprised smile took control of her face. She jumped off the bar stool and walked over to Alex so she could see her face while they talked.

"What? When did this happen?" Mitchie asked her. Alex smiled.

"Just a little while ago, after he made me feel better after a nightmare." Alex replied. Mitchie grinned happily and hugged her.

"That's great, Lexie! I'm so happy for yall! I've got to go tell Shane!" Mitchie said excitedly as she pulled away from Alex and walked away, no doubt heading off to find Shane and tell him the great news. Alex chuckled to herself as she finished getting the sandwiches ready and put them on the frying pan.

Her day started out like crap, but it was slowly starting to get better. Little did she know, it was about to make another turn for the worst.

_With Haylee and Alex at the park…_

They arrived at the park about half an hour ago, and are now finished with their lunch. Haylee is now playing while Alex watches her. Much to Alex's dislike, they were the only people in the park at the moment. But, nothing had happened so far, so she figured she was safe.

"Only about 10 more minutes, then we have to leave okay, Haybear?" Alex called out to Haylee, who glanced at her from the sandbox.

"Otay, Mommy!" Haylee called back, then went back to making her sandcastle. Alex smiled at her daughter, then rubbed her arms with her hands as she felt a breeze. It was the middle of October, and it was starting to feel a little chilly outside. Nothing too cold, though. It didn't get very cold where they lived in California.

"Getting cold?" a voice from behind Alex asked, making her jump. She recognized the voice, and her breath caught in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing the moment away. When she opened her eyes again, he was standing in front of her, smirking at her evilly. Alex felt frozen. She literally couldn't make herself move, even though everything inside of her was screaming for her to grab her little girl and run. She was in shock. Kevin took a step closer to her, and Alex still couldn't force herself to move.

"It's been practically forever, Alex. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that beautiful afternoon we shared together." Kevin said to her, still smirking. Alex started shaking a little, absolutely terrified. She knew she needed to get Haylee and make a run for it, but she physically couldn't make herself move.

Kevin took another step towards her and reached out his hand and stroked her cheek.

"Still as hot as ever. How do you feel about going back to my place for another afternoon of fun?" Kevin asked her, still smirking. Alex just shook even more. He grabbed her arm and started to pull her up.

"Mommy! Wook at my sandcastle!" little Haylee squealed happily from the sandbox. That's all it took for Alex to snap out of her state of shock and yank away from Kevin. Her little girl's voice was all it took. She gave him a death glare.

"You leave me the hell alone. I don't belong to you, and I sure as hell don't owe you anything except maybe a slap in the face." Alex spat out at him, watching as him face turned from smirking to furious. He got a tight grip on Alex's arm, so tight that Alex couldn't pull away. She winced in pain. She was struggling to get away when Haylee walked up to them.

"Mommy, who he?" Haylee asked Alex. Alex's watched in absolute terror as Kevin's eyes traveled down to Haylee. She looked at Alex in confusion.

"Haybear, run. Now!" Alex said to Haylee in a terrified voice. Haylee looked at her, confused and a little scared. But, she didn't run.

"Mommy?" Kevin asked quietly, completely baffled. Alex tried her hardest to yank away from his grip, knowing that she needed to grab her little girl and run or Kevin would do something to Haylee. Kevin just tightened his grip on her.

"Is she your mommy?" Kevin asked Haylee, referring to Alex. He was really confused. Haylee nodded her head, and all of the color drained from Alex's face.

"Yes, she my mommy. Who you?" Haylee asked him. Instead of answering, Kevin smirked and let go of Alex's arm. He then reached down and picked Haylee up. Alex hated the gut-wrenching feeling the sight of Kevin holding her daughter gave her.

"Kevin, put my daughter down now!" Alex told him in a firm tone, but inside she was reaching her breaking point. She couldn't help but think about what Kevin could do to her daughter, and it made her absolutely sick.

"What's your name?" Kevin asked Haylee, finding Alex's terrified expression amusing.

"Haylee Elle Russo." Haylee told him. He smirked a bit more.

"Well Haylee, how would you like to come back to my house and play with me for a little while? I have brownies there." Kevin asked her, and Alex felt utterly sick when she saw Haylee's eyes light up.

"No! Kevin, put her down now!" Alex screamed, then started continuously hitting him, trying to make him put her daughter down. Suddenly, she gasped in pain and stumbled backwards. Blood seeped through the sleeve of her shirt, and she saw him holding a blood-covered knife in one of his hands.

"If you pull that little stunt again, you'll get much worse than a cut on your arm. Got that? Now, you and your little brat are going to come back to my house with me." Kevin told Alex, his expression turning hard. Haylee started squirming in his arms.

"Mommy!" she screamed, finally sensing that Kevin was no-good.

_With Nate…_

"Where are they?" Nate muttered under his breath as he looked right and left for Alex and Haylee. He was holding Alex's phone in one hand as he searched for them. She had forgotten it, and Nate figured that she would need it, just in case Kevin decided to show up.

Just thinking about Kevin made Nate's blood boil. Why did that sick SOB think that he had a right to completely ruin and just control Alex's life. It was unjustifiable what he did, and Nate wanted to kill him.

Nate was still thinking terrible thoughts about Kevin when he turned the corner and glanced ahead. He saw a guy about his age holding a little girl in one arm and something shiny in the other. In front of the man and the little girl, he saw a girl about his age with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was desperately trying to get the little girl away from the man.

Nate furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, wondering if he should try and help the girl or not. He took a step closer, then realized that the shiny thing in the guy's hand was a knife. Now Nate was pretty sure that he should try and help the girl. That's when he heard the girl's voice.

"Kevin, put my daughter down right now! You can take me, just leave her alone! I swear I won't tell anyone about this, just please let her go!" Alex screamed at him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to get Kevin's hands off her little girl.

Nate's eyes widened when he heard the familiar voice, and he squinted to get a better view of the girl. Sure enough, it was Alex. Nate's eyes widened.

"Oh, I know you won't tell anyone about this. My plans don't involve you living to tell anyone about this." Kevin replied. When Nate heard Alex's desperate cries again, he ran as fast as he could over to them. He couldn't let this bastard hurt Allie... which he obviously planned to do.

"What the hell is going on here?" Nate demanded, making their heads snap towards him. Alex's eyes widened, and she felt a million times relieved. She knew Nate would save her and her little girl.

"Nate!" Alex said in desperation. From one look in Alex's eyes, Nate knew that this piece of crap holding Haylee was the same guy that attacked Alex. Nate's face turned red in rage.

"Who the hell are you?" Kevin demanded, looking at Nate with a hard stare. Nate took a step forward. He knew what he had to do.

"I happen to be this little girl's father, and it would be wise of you to hand her over to me now." Nate replied in a hard tone. Kevin just stared at him.

"Look, why don't you just run along while I take care of these two." Kevin told Nate. Haylee whimpered a little as she squirmed even more to get away. It broke Alex's heart to see her little girl so frightened and she couldn't do anything to help her. Nate took another step forward.

"Yeah, I don't think that's such a good idea. Now, give my daughter to me now before I make you wish you were never born. Understand?" Nate asked Kevin, glaring at him coldly. Kevin didn't make any move to release Haylee, and he just stared at Nate. Alex took that chance to snatch the knife out of his hand. Kevin glared at her, and Alex threw the knife a safe distance behind her.

"You little bitch!" Kevin growled. Nate then reached out and punched Kevin as hard as he could in the face. Kevin's hand flew up to his face, and his other hand lost its grip on Haylee. Alex quickly grabbed her daughter back into her arms and hugged her as close as she could, afraid that Kevin might take her away again.

"If I ever see your hands on my daughter again I WILL kill you. Understand?" Nate demanded as he continuously punched Kevin in the face. Kevin nodded slightly, and Nate pushed him away.

"Now leave and don't ever come back!" Nate growled. Kevin started to walk away, then turned back to Alex. Alex thought he looked even scarier with blood and bruises on his face. She began shaking.

"I will come back for you, and I'll do something much worse to you than what I did 4 years ago." he told her, making her shake even more, then stormed off. Alex sat down on the grass and hugged her little girl close and continuously kissed her head.

"Are you okay, baby? Did he hurt you anywhere?" Alex asked Haylee worriedly. She reached up and wiped Haylee's tears away.

"He hurwt my arm, Mommy." Haylee replied as she pointed to a small scratch on her left arm. Alex kissed the scratch.

"When we get home Mommy will put a band-aid on there for you, okay sweetie?" Alex asked Haylee, who nodded. Nate, who had been watching Alex take care of Haylee with a shocked expression, still freaked out from the encounter with Kevin seconds ago, sat down on the grass next to them. He noticed the deep gash that was still bleeding on Alex's arm and winced.

He reached over and pulled her into a big hug, but she pushed him away. Alex just looked down and stood up, still holding onto Haylee. She kept looking down as she spoke to Nate.

"I'm gonna take Haylee home." she said to him in a voice that held no emotion. Nate looked at her worriedly and stood up. He placed a hand on her shoulder, only for her to push it away and take two steps back. Nate looked at her worriedly, and sort of hurt.

"Allie.." Nate started, but Alex cut him off.

"Bye, Nate." she said in another emotionless voice, then turned around and walked toward her car. Nate watched as she buckled Haylee in, got in herself, and drove away. Nate glanced down at Alex's phone that was still in his hand. He took a deep breath and dialed Mitchie's number. He put the phone to his ear, and Mitchie picked up after just a few seconds.

"Hey Lexie. What's up?" Mitchie answered. Nate sighed a little.

"Mitchie, it's Nate. Alex and Haylee are on there way home from the park, but I've got to warn you. Alex isn't being herself." Nate said into the phone.

"What do you mean? Is she okay?" Mitchie asked. Nate could almost see the worry on her face.

"She had an encounter with Kevin at the park. I'll tell you everything that happened when I get home. But, Alex pretty much just shut down afterwards. She wouldn't let me hug her or even talk to her. So, be careful when she gets home." Nate replied. He could hear Mitchie murmur, "Oh my god."

"Okay, thanks for telling me, Nate. I'll see you when you get home." Mitchie said, then hung up.

When Alex got home, she didn't say a word to anybody. She just bandaged up her arm where Kevin stabbed her and bandaged the cut on Haylee's arm. She then carried Haylee upstairs and shut the door. She only wanted her little girl with her, no one else.

It's now 6:30. Alex and Haylee have been up in Alex's room all afternoon; Haylee has been playing dolls, and Alex has just been sitting on her bed, thinking about everything that was happening. She worried if they were safe or not in their house with Kevin still on the loose. She worried if Kevin would really kill her or not. And most of all, she worried about why she couldn't make herself cry or let any of the feeling she had bottled up inside out. She was numb and broken.

"Haylee, Alex, dinner's ready." Nate said after he popped his head inside Alex's room. Haylee nodded and smiled and left the room. Nate looked at Alex, who hadn't made any move.

"Alex, aren't you hungry?" Nate asked her. Alex looked up at him, desperately wanting to walk over to him and fall into his arms and let herself cry. But, she couldn't, and she looked back down at her feet.

"No. Eat without me." Alex replied, emotionless. Nate looked at her, worry and concern clear across his face. He opened the door wider and walked in. He stopped just a few feet ahead of Alex.

"Allie, just talk to me. Tell me everything that's running through that pretty little head of yours." Nate said to her. She looked at him for a second, then back down at her feet. He had no idea how desperately she wanted to open up and tell him all her worries and concerns. But, she couldn't. She couldn't allow herself to be vulnerable, that would be admitting that she was weak, and she wasn't.

"I-I can't." Alex stuttered, though a tiny amount of emotion was in her voice this time. Nate took this as a hopeful sign, and he took a step closer to her.

"Yes you can, Allie. It's okay to cry. Hell, if I had been through everything you've been through, I'd cry everyday of my life. Just, let me in." Nate said to her. Alex just continued to look down, and she shook her head. With a small sigh, Nate turned around and left Alex's room, shutting the door behind him.

After he left, Alex looked up at the door. She felt terrible for not being able to talk to Nate. And suddenly, it was like everything hit her at once. Tears started pouring down her cheeks, and she couldn't stop them.

She cried because she knew that she should have let Nate talk to her. She cried because the guy that ruined her life was there, somewhere close to her, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it without risking hers, Mitchie's, or Haylee's safety. She cried because her parents weren't there to make her feel safe again. She cried because everyone wanted her to forget everything and move on. And, she cried because she couldn't forget the whole thing and move on. She cried because she was afraid to fall in love again, and she cried because no one wanted to be involved with a girl that had a 3 year old when she was only 15.

Most of all, she cried because of the way she felt when Nate was holding her and stroking her back while she cried. She missed him. She missed everything about him, and there was nothing she could do about it without making herself vulnerable again. She missed how he used to do stupid things just to get her to laugh, and she missed how his hugs made her feel like absolutely anything was possible. She just missed him. Period.

Alex cried and cried for hours, and no one disturbed her, probably because her sobs were loud enough for them to hear and they knew that she needed her space. That is, no one disturbed her until Haylee ran into her room at about 11:00 that night.

Alex sat up when she heard Haylee enter, and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She held her arms out, and Haylee ran into her. She had tears in her eyes, and she was obviously freaked out.

"Haybear, what's wrong?" Alex asked her worriedly. Haylee hugged onto Alex tighter.

"Momma, there was a man looking in my window!" little Haylee said as she shook in Alex's arms. Alex, not knowing what to say, just hugged Haylee close and never wanted to let her go.

**A/N: That's all for this chapter. I hope you guys liked it! It's starting to get interesting.. (:**

**Also, I thought I'd tell you where I'm trying to go with this. I'm trying to show that Alex wants more than anything to be Nate's best friend, and she does become his best friend again, but she's scared of letting her guard down and putting herself in a vulnerable position again. After the rape, she lost pretty much all trust she had in males, period. It's hard for her to open up and let Nate all the way in just yet. She's scared and doesn't want to get hurt again. She feels like she can only depend on herself, especially after the encounter with Kevin. She knows she has to do everything she can to keep Haylee safe, butt she feels like she's the only one she can count on to do it. Does that make sense to y'all?** **I hope it clears some of your questions up. (:**

**If it doesn't, feel free to ask me anything. :D**

**Anyways, P L E A S E R E V I E W! (: I love hearing what you guys think! Love y'all!**

**-Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…..**

"_Alex, I think it's time we called the police."_

…_._

"_I'm afraid to be vulnerable again."_

…_._

"_Alex, just let your guard down and tell me what's wrong! You need to talk to somebody!"_

…_._

"_You're so beautiful when you sleep. Expect to see me soon. -K."_

…_._

"_It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from, and I hate it!"_


	8. The Light Of My Life

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 7: The Light Of My Life**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm had a longggg week at school last week.**

**Biology exhausts me.**

**Also, migraines suck.**

**But, the weekend is making things better.**

**Too bad I have school… in like 3 hours.**

**I stayed up almost all night writing this for y'all.**

**Because I love y'all! (:**

**And, also because I can't sleep.**

**But, the point is, y'all get an update!**

**Yayyyyyyy! (:**

**(this person didn't have a name): **Haha, I'm glad you loved it! Thank-you for your sweet review! I hope you love this episode tooo! (:

**CRazY dANcE: **Aww, thank-youu! It makes me happy that you love my story! Here's the update you wanted! (:

**butterflygurl2468: **Thank you so much! That made me happy. (: I'm sooo happy you like my story! I'm also glad you thought it was worth the wait. I hope this episode was worth the wait as well! (:

**unperfectt:** Hahaha. I understand what you mean about how it's weird that the bad guys always know where the good guys are in movies and stuff. I wonder about that too, haha! I'm trying to make it seem like Kevin is stalking Alex in my story, so that's how he knew where she was. Maybe that's what they want you to think in movies too? Haha, I don't know. Andd, of course Nate wishes Haylee was his daughter, haha. ;) Eventually, she will be. Sometimes, when I'm really, really upset I sort of shut down like Alex did. Not as drastically shut down, of course. I've never been through anything like she has. But, I hate to talk to anybody when I'm upset. I just like to keep to myself. That's sort of what Alex was doing, she was just doing it to the extreme. Andd, I'm glad you love the sneek peaks! Haha. (: I hope you like this chapter! BTW, this is probably the longest review reply I've EVER done. Hahaha. (:

**Ally-Woods-rox: **Hahaha. Your review made me laugh. (: I want Kevin to die, too. All of my other readers probably do, too. Haha. But, he's got to stay the bad guy for just a LITTLE while longer. Unfortunately. Haha. (: I hope you like this chapter, and thank-you for your review!

**Maya07: **Pshh.. Drama is my middle name.. Just kidding.. My middle name is Claire.. Not that you really care.. In fact, you're probably thinking "Why is this freak I don't even know telling me her middle name?" … Hahaha. (: I'm SOOOO happy you like my story! (: All it takes is just a little practice to write longer stories. Trust me, my first one was pretty, umm, TERRIBLE. Hahaha. I'm sure you're doing great, though. Thank-youu for your sweet review! I hope you like this episode! (:

**Written-in-hearts: **Aww, thank-you! That makes me really happy. (: I'm happy I can get someone addicted to my story, as weird as that sounds. Hahaha. (: I hope you like this episode! (:

**Brittana Forever: **As strange as this sounds, hearing that something I write makes someone cry or almost makes someone cry is one of the biggest compliments I can get. To me, it means that I've captured the character or the scene perfectly and put just enough emotion into it. So, thank-you soooo much! (: I'm happy you like my story! Enjoy this episode! (:

**Thanks for your sweet reviews, guys! They really do make my day. (:**

**STARTING STORY:**

_Alex cried and cried for hours, and no one disturbed her, probably because her sobs were loud enough for them to hear and they knew that she needed her space. That is, no one disturbed her until Haylee ran into her room at about 11:00 that night._

_Alex sat up when she heard Haylee enter, and she quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She held her arms out, and Haylee ran into her. She had tears in her eyes, and she was obviously freaked out._

_"Haybear, what's wrong?" Alex asked her worriedly. Haylee hugged onto Alex tighter._

_"Momma, there was a man looking in my window!" little Haylee said as she shook in Alex's arms. Alex, not knowing what to say, just hugged Haylee close and never wanted to let her go._

Alex continued to hold Haylee in her lap for a while, unsure of what she could do. It wasn't like she could call the cops. Kevin would know about it. He'd hurt her again.

Tears welled in Alex's eyes, and it was all she could do for Haylee not to just break down again. Alex closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, then opened her eyes again.

At the same time, her phone buzzed with a text message. With her free hand, Alex reached over and grabbed her phone off her night stand. Shakily, Alex opened the message.

It was a picture message. The picture was of her, laying face down in her bed just a few minutes ago. It looked like it had been taken from her window. Alex, with eyes wide in fear, glanced over at her window and realized that she'd forgotten to close her curtains.

Scrolling down past the picture, there was a message: _"You're so beautiful when you sleep. Expect to see me soon. -K."_

Alex started shaking again, her hand shaking causing her phone to fall to the floor. She stood up slowly, with Haylee balanced on her hip, and walked over to her window. In one swift motion, she used her free hand to yank the curtains closed. She then sat back down on her bed and turned Haylee so she was facing her.

Alex held her tears in, not wanting to scare Haylee, as she looked into her daughter's innocent and pure eyes. Haylee's milk-chocolate colored eyes were an exact replica of her own. Haylee's long, curly hair was just like her own too; the only difference being in color. Haylee's hair was lighter. As Alex looked into her daughter's sweet little face, she knew exactly what she had to do to keep her safe.

Alex stood up again with Haylee in her arms. She walked out of her bedroom and down the hall to Mitchie's room. She opened the door and walked inside. Mitchie was sitting in her bed playing her guitar. She looked up when she heard someone enter, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw it was Alex. She quickly sat her guitar down and looked at her. Alex sat down next to her, Haylee on her lap.

Mitchie immediately sensed that something else was bothering Alex, something more than what was bothering her earlier. She looked at Alex worriedly.

"Lexie? What's wrong?" Mitchie asked her, worriedly but firmly. Alex tried to answer, but she choked on a sob. Haylee looked up at Alex, placing her small hand on her mommy's cheek.

"Mommy?" Haylee asked. Worry and fear were the only emotions in those eyes so identical to her mother's. Alex took a few deep breaths and set Haylee down on the ground. She forced her tears to stay away for a few short moments.

"Haybear, Momma's okay. Will you do me a big favor and go into Nate's room?" Alex asked Haylee. Haylee looked unsure, but she nodded anyways. After giving Alex a kiss, she turned and left Mitchie's room.

When she heard Nate's bedroom door shut, Mitchie looked at Alex, who had started crying again.

"M-Mitchie, I-I have to get Haylee aw-away from h-here. She… She's not s-safe." Alex sobbed, breaking Mitchie's heart as she did so. Mitchie waited for her to continue.

"H-He knows where… where we live. H-he was standing outside H-Haylee's window. M-Mitchie, I-I have to keep her safe!" Alex cried, tears practically pouring out of her eyes. After a few minutes, Alex had calmed down slightly. She looked at Mitchie, her eyes red and swollen from all her tears.

"I-I'm gonna call Miley and see if Haylee can stay with her for a while. It..It's the only way to keep her s-safe." Alex told Mitchie, then started sobbing again.

Though it broke her heart seeing how much pain Alex was in, having to go without seeing her daughter until Kevin was caught, Mitchie knew Alex was right. It did seem like the only way. Mitchie wrapped her arms around Alex and let her cry into her shirt. Tears even fell from Mitchie's eyes.

After twenty minutes of just crying, Alex pulled away from Mitchie and forced herself to be strong for a while. She had to be strong enough to get Haylee safe, and then she could break down again.

"C-Can I use your phone?" Alex asked Mitchie, not wanting to leave Mitchie's side to go get her own. Mitchie, her best friend and practically sister, helped keep her strong. Mitchie nodded and passed Alex her iPhone. Alex dialed Miley's number. After a few rings, Miley picked up.

"Hello?" Miley answered, sounding tired.

"M-Miley, this is Alex. I'm coming over. I'll explain everything when I get there." Alex said into the phone.

"Alex? Is everything okay?" Miley asked, more awake and alert now.

"I-I'll see you in a few minutes." Alex responded, then hung up. She set Mitchie's phone on the bed and looked at her.

"I'm… I'm gonna go get some of Haylee's stuff together." Alex said to her, then stood up and left the room without another word.

Half an hour later, Alex was standing at Miley's front door, a sleeping Haylee in one arm and Haylee's suitcase in the other. She set the suitcase down and knocked on the door. Alex heard shuffling, and then Miley answered the door. She quickly let Alex and Haylee inside, looking confused at the suitcase in her hand.

Shutting the door behind then, Miley turned and looked at Alex. She immediately knew something was wrong by the look on Alex's face.

"Alex, what's going on?" Miley asked her worriedly. Alex looked down at Haylee in her arms.

"Can I lay her down somewhere so we can talk? Please?" Alex asked Miley. Miley nodded, and Alex followed Miley down the hallway and into what looked to be a guest bedroom. Miley took Haylee from Alex and laid her down in the queen-sized bed. She then led Alex back into the living room.

They both sat down on the couch, and Miley looked at Alex. She was about to ask her again what was wrong, when they heard footsteps coming down the staircase. A minute later, a woman who looked to be an older version of Miley stepped into the room. She was wearing a white t-shirt, blue pajama pants, and a blue bathrobe. She glanced at Alex for a minute before she looked at Miley.

"Miley, what's going on?" Miley's mom asked her, slightly confused as to why a girl she had never met before who looked like she'd been crying was sitting in her living room at almost midnight.

"M-Ms. Stewart, I.. I didn't mean to cause any tr-trouble. I.. I just need help." Alex said to Miley's mom, her voice breaking at the end. Alex started sobbing again. She put her hands over her face and started shaking. Ms. Stewart quickly rushed over to Alex and rubbed her back. She didn't know who this girl was, but she was obviously a wreck and needed help. Miley rushed to her other side.

"Sweetie, everything's okay. You didn't cause any trouble at all. Shh. Everything's okay." Ms. Stewart soother Alex in a gently, motherly tone.

"Everything's okay, Alex. Tell us what's wrong." Miley said to her. Hearing Alex's name, Ms. Stewart realized who she was. Miley told her about how she was raped and had a child, and about how she had helped Miley realize that she could never hate her. Ms. Stewart's heart broke for the young girl sitting in front of her. 15 years ago, she was in the exact same position Alex was in.

Miley and Ms. Stewart soother Alex a little while longer, before she calmed down enough to talk to them.

"H-He's back. And.. And he knows where we…we live. And, I'm b-begging you to p-please keep my little girl s-safe for me." Alex said to them, tears filling her eyes again. She forced them not to fall this time, though. Miley and Ms. Stewart exchanged concerned looks.

"Alex, honey, why don't you start from the beginning. Tell us what's wrong." Ms. Stewart said gently to Alex. Alex nodded and took a deep breath before she began.

She told them about the night her mom told her Kevin was back, and she told them about her nightmares about him. She told them about her encounter in the park with him, and how if Nate wasn't there he'd have killed her and Haylee both. And, she told them about everything that happened tonight; about the message and about him looking in Haylee's bedroom window.

"C-Can you please keep Haylee here with you? It.. It'd only be for a little while. I just… I have to keep her safe." Alex asked them, practically begged them, as tears fell down her cheeks again. She wiped them away. Ms. Stewart didn't hesitate a bit as she answered.

"Of course Haylee can stay here with us for a while. We'll keep her safe, Alex." Ms. Stewart said to her. Alex wiped more tears away as she threw her arms around Ms. Stewart.

"Thank-you so much. You don't know how much this means to me." Alex said. Ms. Stewart hugged her back, and then they pulled apart.

"I-I'm gonna go say goodbye to her." Alex said, her voice breaking once again, as she stood up. She walked down the hallway and into the bedroom Miley had put Haylee in just a few minutes earlier.

Alex glanced at her little Sleeping Beauty. She looked just like a princess with her brown curls spread out on the pillow behind her. Alex walked over to her and got down on her knees beside the bed. She used two of her fingers to stroke Haylee's cheek. Tears fell down her face and blurred her vision as she looked at her little girl, her little Haybear. Alex shook her gently. A few seconds later, Haylee's eyes opened. She looked at Alex.

"Momma?" Haylee asked as she wiped at a tear on Alex's face. Alex had a pained smile on her face as she reached up and took Haylee's hand into her own.

"Shhh. Haylee, I love you more than anything else in this world. The amount of love I have for you is more than the amount of grains of sand on the beach and more than the strands of hair on Rapunzel's hair. You're the light of my life; you brighten up my bad days. Years ago, when my life was so bad that I wanted to die, your light kept me going. You're my miracle, Haybear. I love you so much, but I have to protect you. And to protect you this time, means that I won't be able to see your beautiful face for a while. But, I know that everything's going to be okay because, when all the bad stuff is over, you'll be coming back home to me. That thought right there is the only thing allowing me to not see you for a while." Alex said to Haylee, tears sliding down her cheeks the whole time. Haylee looked at Alex worriedly, like she wasn't understanding everything that was going on.

"Mommy leave?" Haylee asked, and tears filled her wide eyes. Alex sniffled and nodded her head.

"Yes, baby. Mommy has to leave you for a while. But, everything's going to be alright. Miley and Ms. Stewart are going to take care of you. They love you, Haybear." Alex explained to Haylee.

"But, me want you, Momma." Haylee said in a voice that broke Alex's heart.

"I know baby, I know. And I want to be with you too. But, this is the only way to keep you safe. You can call me anytime you want. And, here." Alex reached up and unhooked the locket around her neck. On the inside was a picture of herself and a picture of Haylee as a baby. Her mom gave it to her after Haylee was born. Engraved on the front, was 'My Miracle'. Alex put the locket on Haylee, then smiled a pain-filled smile at her.

"Whenever you miss me, just rub that locket. I'll know that you're missing me, and I'll blow you a kiss from wherever I am, alright?" Alex asked Haylee. Haylee held onto the locket with one hand and looked at Alex.

"Otay, Mommy. I wove you." Haylee said to her. Alex had to hold back a sob and she pulled Haylee off the bed and into her arms. She hugged her tightly and kissed her head repeatedly. She memorized the smell of strawberries and cream in Haylee's hair, and she memorized the sound of Haylee's heartbeat.

"I love you too, my sweet, sweet little Haybear. I love you more than anything else. Never forget that." Alex said as she forced her sobs away.

"I won't, Momma." Haylee replied. Alex finally pulled away from her little girl and tucked her back into bed. She then stood up and kissed Haylee's forehead a couple of time. Haylee kissed Alex on the cheek. Alex finally turned to leave. When she got to the door, she turned back around and looked at Haylee, who was holding the locket Alex gave her.

"I love you up to the moon and back, up to the stars and the moon, and up to the man in the moon. **(My Momma always tells me this. She has ever since I was a baby.) **" Alex said to Haylee, before she turned and left. She shut Haylee's door and walked into the living room. She looked at Miley and Ms. Stewart.

"Thank-you for keeping her safe. Please tell her I love her every night. I.. I have to go now." Alex said, then rushed out the front door as sobs overcame her body.

After they saw Alex's car pull out of the driveway and go down the street, Miley and Ms. Stewart looked at each other. One of them was about to say something about how they wished they could help Alex more, when they heard soft footsteps coming down the hall. A second later, Haylee walked in, one hand holding the locket, and the other hand holding her teddy bear. She looked at Miley and Ms. Stewart.

"How mwany gwains of sand is on the bweach?" Haylee asked them as tears fell down her cheeks. Miley quickly walked over and picked Haylee up into her arms.

_The next day, with Alex….._

Mitchie and Shane left to go grocery shopping about 20 minutes ago. Shane and Nate both know about what happened to Haylee. Mitchie told them. Alex and Nate are the only ones at home now.

Alex is sitting on the couch in the living room, staring blankly at the black TV screen. She missed her little girl. It'd only been one night, but she missed her little girl more than she could put into words.

Alex hadn't slept the night before. She spent a while crying, then made herself stop. She knew Haylee wouldn't want her to be sad or upset. She's back to her emotionless state now.

Nate walked into the room just then and looked worriedly over at Alex. He took a deep breath and walked over to her. He sat down beside her. Alex made no move.

"Alex, are you okay?" Nate asked her. She looked at him with a glassy stare.

"I'm fine." Alex replied in a cold, emotionless voice. Nate looked worried and sighed a little. He had to get through to her.

"Alex, just let your guard down and tell me what's wrong! You need to talk to somebody!" Nate said to her frustratedly. He stood up and was about to leave the room when Alex whispered, "I'm afraid to be vulnerable again."

Then, sensing how distressed and worried she made Nate finally broke Alex, and she stood up. It was like the glass in her eyes shattered, and tears filled them.

"You want to know what's wrong with me?" Alex yelled, anger and sadness and hurt in her voice. Nate turned around and looked at her. He took a few steps closer to her.

"Yes! God, please tell me what's wrong!" Nate yelled back, figuring out that yelling would be the best way for her to get her anger and frustrations out.

"Nate, the piece of shit that caused my life a living hell is back! He took everything away from me 3 years ago, and he's taken everything away from me again! I'm not allowed to see the light of my entire world until this bastard is caught, and I hate it! I hate how much control he has over my life! I can't even tell the damn police because he WILL find out, Nate! He'll find out, and he'll r-rape me again! Or, maybe he'll even kill me this time! Who the hell knows? It's like a nightmare that I can't wake up from, and I hate it! And, I hate that my little girl is suffering through all of this! I talked to Miley this morning, and she told me that Haylee had been up the entire night crying. And, I couldn't be there to soothe her or calm her down! Hell, me leaving her was the reason she cried all night long! It breaks my heart, Nate. I was barely keeping myself together as it was when she was still here, Nate. But, now that I don't have my little girl home with me every day, I don't know what I'm going to do. I need her. I need my light to make my day brighter, Nate." Alex finished, shaking in sobs. Nate quickly walked over to her and pulled her into a tight, secure hug.

After about an hour of hugging Alex and calming her down, she was a little better. Nate walked them over to the couch, and they sat down. He took a deep breath and took her hand into his own.

"Alex, I think it's time we called the police." Nate said to her. Alex's red, bloodshot eyes widened, and she shook with fear. The thought of Kevin attacking her again scared the hell out of her.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. I'll protect you. But, Haylee needs her mommy, and her mommy needs her. The only way to have her back is to get rid of Kevin. And, the police are the only ones with enough power to do that." Nate said to Alex, stroking her hair with his free hand. She was still shaking.

"Alex, you have to call them" Nate said to her, softly but sternly at the same time. It took a few minutes of deep breathing before Alex pulled her cell-phone out of her pocket. She almost could dial the three digits that could make everything better because of her shaking. But, she finally managed it. She put the phone up to her ear and gripped Nate's hand tightly. A second later, a female's voice picked up on the other line.

"911, what's your emergency?" the lady asked. Alex took a deep breath, and Nate squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"M-My name is Alex Russo. I'm18 years old. I live at 1113 Sunset Drive. This is going to sound crazy, and you're probably not going to believe me, but I… I need your help. I was r-raped 3 years ago. I didn't call the police then, because he threatened me. But, he's back. And, he's threatening me and my daughter and I just really need my daughter back home." Alex finished in a ramble, choking on sobs. She could almost hear the sympathy in the woman's voice as she replied.

"Sweetie, I'll send help right your way." the woman replied. Alex shook with more sobs, but managed to thank the woman before she hung up. When she did hang up, Nate reached down and kissed the top of her head.

"You did the right thing, Allie. I'm so, so proud of you." Nate whispered to her as they waited for the police to arrive. She just hugged onto him and sobbed.

**A/N: And, that's where I'm ending this chapter. Thank-you for your patience! And, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! (:**

**I plan to update 'You Are The Music In Me' tomorrow night.**

**Also, I'm working on pictures for this story. I'll have them out before I post the next episode, for sure. (:**

**P L E A S E R E V I E W ! ! ! (:**

**-Jordan. (:**

**PS: You'll be very happy with the last sneek peek I give you. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode….**

"_Mommy doesn't want me anymore."_

…_._

"_Somebody please help me!"_

…_._

"_Ms. Russo, we'll catch him. You'll have your daughter back soon enough."_

…_._

"_He knows! He knows I told the police!"_

…_._

"_Kevin James, you're under arrest for the rape of Alex Russo. And also for charges of assault on both Alex Russo and Haylee Russo. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."_


	9. Finally

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 8: Finally**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey y'all! I've missed writing on this story, so I'm fixing that. (: This update is wayyy overdue. I'm seriously sorry for making y'all wait. I know I kept promising updates, but never updated when I said I would; and I can understand if you're frustrated with me. I'd be frustrated with me too. But, I'm updating now. And, I'm out of school for the summer now, and I passed all of my classes (Not that I was worried). (: But, I'm going to have SO MUCH FREE TIME to update! Be excited. (: **

**I've started writing little updates on my page, so y'all can see what's going on and know that I haven't forgotten about anything. Check it out! **

**Thank-you all for your reviews, favorites, and story alerts. Also for your patience. It means the world to me, along with my readers; you just don't know. I love y'all! God Bless! (:**

**Maya07: **Hahaha, your image of that sweet little girl you get from the name Claire, describes me almost perfectly if you asked anyone who knows me. Everyone thinks I'm a sweet, goody-two-shoes type that doesn't ever get angry. And when I actually DO get angry, they're shocked. Needless to say, people think I'm a LOT nicer than I actually am. Haha. (: And, I cried while I was writing the scene about Alex, so you're not the only softie. (: Anywaysss, I hope you like this episode!

**Brittana Forever: **Thank-you very much! I hope you like this episode lots and LOTS! (:

**Written-in-hearts: **Aww, I'm sorry it made you cry. But, it made me cry while I was writing it, haha. I'm sure that this episode will make you feel a LOT better about Haylee. I hope you like this episode, and thank-you for reviewing! (:

**Ally-Woods-rox: I **hope you like this episode! Thank-you for reviewing! (:

**NelenaVillage**: Aww, Thank-you! I love new readers! They excite me! (: Thank-you for your sweet review. (: Trust me, I'm pretty sure ALL of my readers hate Kevin like you do, haha. And, he is an asshole. But, SOON, he'll be an asshole rotting the rest of his life away in prison. Make you feel better? Haha. I hope you like this chapter! It should make you feel better. (:

**Thank-you for your reviews. They just make me smile like the sun… fall out of bed… sing like a bird… get dizzy my head… JUST KIDDING. :D But, they really do make me happy. (: I love y'all! (:**

**ALSO, I POSTED A LINK ON MY PAGE THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO PICTURES FOR THIS STORY. I HOPE YOU LIKE THEM; I MADE THEM ALL. (:**

**Please read the author's note at the end. It's IMPORTANT.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wizards of Waverly Place. Or Camp Rock. Or Selena Gomez or Demi Lovato or Nick Jonas or Joe Jonas or anyone else in this story. I DO, however, own some really pretty, long, shiny, blonde hair, a pair of pretty blue eyes, and really comfy penguin pajama pants. Be jealous. :D**

**STARTING STORY:**

Two weeks passed by. Two weeks since Alex called the police and reported Kevin. Two weeks since Alex has been able to see her little girl. Two weeks since Alex has eaten a full meal or had a full night's sleep. Two weeks since Alex's world has been the closest it's been to normal in a while. Two weeks since Alex has seen or heard from Kevin.

The police believed Alex after she called them, especially with Haylee as evidence. They even said that Kevin had previous charges of assault on his record, but he was out of jail for those. They couldn't find the sicko, though. He was hiding out somewhere, Alex thought so him getting to her would be even more of a thrill to him. Sicko. So, they had to wait until he was found.

That scared Alex tremendously. Waiting. All the things Kevin could possibly do to her ran through her mind when she thought about waiting much longer. The police were watching after her, she knew, but still. Kevin was smart, and if he wanted something badly enough, he'd find a way to get it.

Frankly, not knowing where Kevin was scared the mess out of Alex. She didn't know if she was safe or not just walking to the end of her driveway to get the newspaper. She didn't know if the next time she looked out her window Kevin would be there. She just didn't know. And it scared her to pieces.

What she did know, though, was that she couldn't wait for her little girl to get back home an in her arms. She couldn't see her, which was a big sacrifice, but it was completely worth it knowing that Kevin couldn't lay his grimy hands on her. Miley let Haylee call Alex every day on her cell-phone. It broke her heart every time Haylee said goodbye and started crying. She wanted to be there to wipe her tears away, like she always did. Miley told her that Haylee's locket never came off of her neck. Alex just wanted to have her little girl home again; she felt incomplete without her.

_With Haylee and Miley…_

Miley is sitting in the living room of her house, curled up on her couch and watching 'General Hospital', her last soap opera of the day. She had just finished eating lunch with Haylee, and now Haylee is in the guest bedroom, her temporary bedroom, playing Barbies.

At least, Miley thought she was.

"Miley, where's Haylee?" Miley's mom asked as she came into the living room behind the couch.

"In her room playing Barbies." Miley answered without even turning around to look at her mother. She was way too engrossed in the soap opera. Mrs. Stewart furrowed her eyebrows.

"I just checked in there, Miley. Her room is empty." Mrs. Stewart responded to her daughter's answer, starting to sound worried. THAT made Miley snap her head away from the TV. She jumped up off the couch.

"What? I swear that's where I left her after lunch." Miley said, started to freak out. She ran past her mother and went to check the guest bedroom herself. She opened the door, and just as her mother said, there was no sign of the little Alex look-alike.

"Oh my God." Miley muttered worriedly as she ran to her own room and looked inside. Still no sign of Haylee.

"Haylee! Haylee Elle! Come out from wherever you're hiding! This isn't funny!" Miley yelled, her voice full of panic, as she started checking every room in the house, freaking out the entire time as Alex's words about how dangerous Haylee's father was floated through her mind. What if he somehow got her?

"Shit." Miley mumbled to herself, then began yelling Haylee's name again. She could hear her mother doing the same in the background.

And, after every room in the Stewart house had been checked, there was still no Haylee.

Deciding that Haylee was nowhere inside the Stewart house, Miley ran outside to look for her. Miley ran a hand through her hair as she stood at the door and looked around.

That's when she spotted her, about to cross the street at the end of the Stewarts' huge front yard. Miley ran as fast as she could up to the little girl, catching her easily. She picked her up into her arms quickly, much to Haylee's disagreement. Tears were streaming down little Haylee's cheeks.

"Haylee. Oh my gosh, I was so worried. Why did you run off like that?" Miley asked the clearly upset little girl in her arms. Haylee reached one hand up, and her little hand clasped around the locket from Alex as more tears fell.

"Mommy doesn't want me anymore." Haylee said, her voice even quieter than it usually was. Miley frowned at Haylee's answer.

"Haylee, your momma loves you more than anything else in the world. That's why she brought you here; she loves you so much she wants to keep you safe." Miley said to Haylee as she started carrying her back to the house. Haylee shook her head no.

"Mommy doesn't want to be with me anymore. She doesn't love me anymore." Haylee said, her tiny voice cracking at the end. She began crying even more then, and Miley hugged the little girl close to her, trying to soothe her.

"You can't believe that, Haylee. Your momma wants you back with her so badly. You're her heart and soul, Haylee. Remember, she said that she loves you more than all the grains of sand on the beach and all of the strands of hair on Rapunzel's head. That's a whole lot of love." Miley said to Haylee as she carried her inside the house, closing the door behind her.

"Can I see Momma?" Haylee asked in a voice so quiet, Miley barely heard her. Miley sighed just a little when Haylee asked that. She wanted Haylee to be able to see Alex; she wanted that more than anything.

"I don't think so, baby girl. But, you can call her if you'd like." Miley replied as she sat Haylee down on the couch and sat down right beside her. The little girl sighed.

"Fwine. I call her." Haylee replied, dejected. Miley frowned, feeling sad for the little girl, as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She dialed Alex's number, then put the phone up to Haylee's ear.

"Hello?" Alex answered a few rings later. Miley smiled as she saw Haylee's frown start to disappear.

"Hey Momma." Haylee answered, still sounding sad.

"Hey, Haybear! How is my little princess today?" Alex asked, smiling from her end of the phone. If she couldn't see Haylee, she treasured the moments Haylee called her.

"I mwiss you, Mommy. Can I see you?" Haylee asked with hope shining in her brown eyes. Alex frowned as she felt tears sting the back of her eyes. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell her little girl that she was on her way to pick her up right then. But, she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, princess. But, you can't come see Momma right now. But soon though, okay?' Alex asked. She heard Haylee start to sniffle, meaning she had just started crying. A tear leaked out of Alex's eye and rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, everything's okay, sweetie. Wipe your tears away; you're way too pretty to be upset." Alex said to her little girl, but all she heard in response were Haylee's sniffles. Alex sighed quietly as a few more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Haybear, Momma can't come see you, but do you want me to see if Aunt Mitchie will come?" Alex asked her little girl, knowing that Kevin wasn't interested in Mitchie. He wouldn't try and follow her.

"Yes pwease." Haylee replied in a small voice that just made another tear roll down Alex's face.

"Alright then, sweetie. She'll be there in just a little while. You be a good girl. Mommy's gotta go now. I love you up to the moon and back, up to the stars in the moon, and up to the man in the moon." Alex said to Haylee. Haylee wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"I love you too, Mommy. Bye." Haylee said sadly, then hung up Miley's phone. She looked at Miley.

"Auntie Mitchie's cwoming over." was all Haylee said before she jumped off the couch and walked away to her temporary bedroom sadly, tears running down her face the whole time.

Miley watched Haylee leave and sighed sadly. She wished she could do something to cheer her up.

_With Alex…_

Alex sighed and put her phone down on the kitchen table as more tears fell down her cheeks. She put her face in her hands and just cried for a little while. She wanted her Haylee back.

After a little while, Alex stood up and wiped her eyes. She walked to the staircase, then up the stairs to Mitchie's room. She knocked once before entering. Mitchie, who had been sitting on her bed on her laptop, looked up and smiled at Alex.

"Hey Lexie." Mitchie said with a smile. Alex managed a tiny smile in return.

"Do you mind going over to Miley's to see Haybear? She just called crying, and I told her that I couldn't come, but I'd see if you would." Alex asked Mitchie as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Mitchie looked at Alex and noticed that she'd been crying. She frowned.

"Sure I'll go; I've just gotta go get dressed and stuff first." Mitchie replied as she shut her laptop. Alex stood up off the bed.

"Thank-you." was all Alex said before leaving Mitchie's room. She went into her own bedroom and at down at her computer desk. She knew that she couldn't send Mitchie to Haylee's empty-handed, so she turned on her webcam and forced herself to smile as she hit record.

"Hey Haylee, mommy's sweet princess. I love you and miss you more than anything else in this world. You'll be back home with me soon, I promise." Alex said into the camera, forcing her tears to stay away. She couldn't let Haylee see her cry; it would only make Haylee feel worse.

"I bet you're having tons of fun over there with Miley! Have you gotten her to paint your nails or braid your hair yet? If you haven't, you should; she's really good at that kind of stuff. I'm sending my glitter nail polish, the one you like so much, with Aunt Mitchie. Be sure and get Miley to paint your nails with it." Alex said into the camera, doing her absolute best to keep her tears away and to keep her voice from breaking.

"I love you so, so much, Haybear. I'm about to sing you the Winnie The Pooh song, so you can listen to it before you go to sleep tonight. I love you! Be a good girl!" Alex said, then began singing 'Welcome to Pooh Corner' by Kenny Loggins**(A/N: look it up if you haven't heard it before. It's such a sweet song. (: )**, Haylee's favorite song, into the camera.

Once she was finished, she turned the webcam off and put a blank DVD into her computer. She burned the video to the DVD, then put the DVD into an empty case. She stood up from her desk, grabbed Haylee's favorite nail polish off of her vanity, and left her bedroom, going downstairs and into the kitchen.

She put the DVD and nail polish down on the counter, then proceeded to make Haylee a heart-shaped grilled cheese.

She had just finished putting the DVD, nail polish, and heart-shaped grilled cheese wrapped in plastic wrap into a pink gift bag, when Mitchie came downstairs. She was dressed now. She grabbed her car keys and walked over to Alex, who gave her the gift bag.

"Will you take this to Haylee please? And tell her I love her?" Alex asked Mitchie, tears filling her eyes one again. She wanted to be the one to be going to see her sweet girl. Heck, she wanted to bring her sweet girl home.

Mitchie nodded and took the gift bag. She then noticed the tears that threatened to spill out of Alex's eyes and pulled her into a tight hug. Alex broke then and began sobbing.

"Shhh. It's okay, Lexie. Remember, you've got to stay strong and put all of your energy into finding Kevin and getting him locked up. Stay strong, Lexie, for Haylee." Mitchie whispered soothingly to Alex, who pulled away from Mitchie and wiped her eyes, forcing the remainder of her tears away. Mitchie was right. She had to stay strong.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like that." Alex apologized to Mitchie in a small voice. Mitchie smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's perfectly fine. Now, I'll be back home in a little while. I'll give Haylee a kiss on the nose for you." Mitchie said to her. Alex nodded. Mitchie gave Alex one last hug before leaving the house.

Once Mitchie had left, Alex took a few deep breaths. She then pulled out her cell-phone and dialed the number for one of the detectives that were working her case, Detective Thittle. Alex called him by his first name though, Leo.

"Detective Thittle here." Leo answered his phone on the third ring. Alex walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

"Leo, this is Alex. Have you found anything new on my case? Do you know where K-Kevin is?" Alex asked, hoping for some good news. As usual, though, she didn't get any.

"We've gotten a few calls from people in the area claiming to have seen him, but nothing solid. He hasn't tried to contact you yet?" Leo asked Alex. They had put up signs with Kevin's picture on them and Leo's phone number, asking for people to call if they'd seen him.

"No. Are you sure that there isn't anything I can do to trap him somewhere? I mean, there has to be something!" Alex asked desperately, thinking that they were never going to catch Kevin. Then she'd never get her little girl back. She couldn't let that happen.

"Alex, we'll catch him. You'll have your daughter back soon enough." Leo said to her. She didn't say anything in response, so he said something else.

"Alex, we don't want to risk your safety by using you as bait. I know we'd be in on it, but it still doesn't feel right trying to use you." Leo replied, not even wanting to think about what could happen if they did use Alex as bait and something went wrong.

"Please, Leo! Let me help! I need my little girl back home with me. She's my everything, do you not understand that? I'll do absolutely anything to be able to see her again." Alex asked desperately, tears threatening to spill over for what she felt was about the hundredth time that day. She heard Leo sigh on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, Alex." he muttered. "Stay there. I'll be over in a few minutes with Detective Cook to set a plan." Leo said, then hung. Alex smiled. Even though tears filled her eyes, she was hopeful. Very hopeful.

All that hope crashed down in a second, though, when she received a new text message.

'_I thought I told you not to contact the police. Ready for a repeat of what happened 3 years ago?'_

The message didn't say who it was from, but Alex knew who it was. Kevin found out she told the police.

_With Mitchie, Miley, and Haylee…_

"Aunt Mitchie!" little Haylee yelled with a smile when Mitchie walked into the Stewart household. Mitchie grinned and squatted down and held her arms out. Haylee ran into them, and Mitchie hugged her tightly, then stood up with her in her arms. She balanced Haylee on her hip once she was standing. Miley smiled from the doorway.

"I mwissed you, Aunt Mitchie." Haylee said as she hugged Mitchie's neck tightly. Mitchie smiled and kissed Haylee's forehead.

"I missed you too, Haylee-Bug." Mitchie said with a smile. Little Haylee grinned, but didn't let go of her hug around Mitchie's neck. That's when Mitchie remembered the gift bag from Alex. She smiled at Haylee.

"Haylee-Bug, your Mommy sent you a present. Do you want it?" Mitchie asked Haylee, laughing when her eyes lit up.

"Yes pwease!" Haylee said excitedly. Mitchie grinned and gave Haylee the pink gift bag. She followed Miley into the living room, and the three sat down on the couch, Haylee in Mitchie's lap.

Haylee smiled a huge grin when she pulled out the heart-shaped grilled cheese. Miley smiled at Haylee's happiness and stood up.

"Do you want me to go put that on a plate and bring it back to you with a juice box, Haylee?" Miley asked the little girl, who was happier than she'd been since Alex left her there. Haylee nodded excitedly and handed the sandwich to Miley. Miley walked off into the kitchen. Haylee pulled out the bottle of glitter nail polish.

"Me pwaint my nails?" Haylee asked Mitchie with a mischievous grin. Mitchie laughed.

"I don't think so, baby girl. Miley will probably paint your nails for you. Nice try, though." Mitchie replied with a grin. Haylee just shrugged, then pulled out the DVD case. She looked at it curiously.

"What's this?" Haylee asked Mitchie just as Miley came back into the room. She gave Haylee her sandwich on a plate and juice box. Mitchie took the DVD from Haylee and looked at it.

"It looks like your Momma made you a video. If you ask nicely, maybe Miley will let you watch it." Mitchie replied as she passed the DVD case over to Miley. She was curious as to what was on the DVD too. Haylee looked at Miley with big, brown, pleading eyes.

"Pwease Miley?" Haylee asked her. Miley giggled and nodded. She walked over to her TV and DVD player and put the DVD in. A few seconds later, she pressed play and sat down next to Mitchie. A second later, Alex's face filled the screen, and the video started.

Haylee barely ate her sandwich, as her eyes were glued to the screen, hanging on to every word her Mommy had to say to her. When Alex said, "I love you so, so much, Haybear," , Haylee walked over to the screen and put her tiny hand on Alex's face.

"Me wove you too, Mommy." Haylee said, then reached up and put her other hand around the locket hanging on her neck. And, when Alex started singing 'Return to Pooh Corner', Haylee sang along, though she barely knew the words. She was used to this song; Alex sang it to her a lot.

When the video ended, Haylee looked at Mitchie and Miley with pleading eyes.

"Watch it again, pwease?" she asked them. Miley and Mitchie looked at each other, then back at Haylee. How much Alex missed Haylee was evident in that video, and Haylee's response to it showed how much she missed her Mommy. Miley stood up and walked over to the DVD player.

"Sure, Haylee. But, you have to eat your sandwich and drink your juice this time." Miley replied as she hit the play button. She passed the sandwich and juice to Haylee before she sat back down.

_Back with Alex…_

Alex felt as if she could barely breathe. Kevin knows. He KNOWS she told the police everything about him.

Alex was a mixture of crying and trying to breathe when Nate came downstairs. He spotted her and quickly ran over to her, pulling her into a hug.

"Allie! Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" Nate asked her gently as he soothingly rubbed her back, trying to make her breather normally once again. Once she was breathing normally again, she pulled away and looked at Nate. The look of utter terror in his Allie's eyes made him want to cry. Or seriously injure whoever put the terror there.

"He knows! He knows I told the police!" Alex gasped out, putting her hand to her heart with one hand. With the other, she gave her phone, with the message still clear on the screen, to Nate. He pulled her back into a hug with one arm while he read the message. It infuriated him.

"How the hell could he have found out?" Nate asked, his face turning red in rage as he thought about the piece of crap they were talking about.

"I-I don't know. B-But, he's… he's coming for me!" Alex gasped out again. She started breathing abnormally again, and Nate picked her up and carried her to the couch in the living room, sitting with her in his lap. She buried her head into his chest.

"Hey, everything's okay, Allie. He's not going to hurt you. Everything's okay." Nate said gently to her. After a little while, she calmed down, though she strongly believed that everything was NOT alright.

"Will you protect me from him, Nate? Will you keep him from r-raping me a-again?" Alex asked Nate shakily. Nate hugged her close and let out a tear of his own. The impact of how badly she'd been hurt already was evident, and he was determined to not let it get any worse.

"I swear to you, Allie. I won't let him attack you again. I swear." Nate said, laying his own head on top of hers. Using his free hand, he reached up and stroked Alex's hair as she held on to him as if her life depended on it. Which, in her eyes, her life did depend on Nate.

"Lexie, Nate! Guys! Where are y'all?" they heard Shane call about fifteen minutes later. Nate lifted his head up off Alex's to answer.

"We're in the living room, Shane!" Nate called back. Alex lifted her head off Nate's chest, but didn't get off of his lap. She felt safe there. A second later, Shane walked into the room. He looked from Nate to Alex, and could instantly tell that something was wrong. He sat down on the other side of Alex and pulled her legs into his lap.

"Lexie? Nate? What's wrong?" Shane asked them worriedly. Alex picked up her phone, scrolled to the message from Kevin and showed it to Shane without a word. He looked at her curiously, then read the message. His facial expressions hardened.

"Shit. When the hell is this bastard gonna learn to leave you alone?" Shane asked angrily, his face almost as red as Nate's got when he read the message. Alex just sighed and laid her head back down on Nate's chest.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then the sound of the doorbell killed it. Alex sighed and stood up and headed towards the door to answer it, knowing it was Leo. She wasn't very scared anymore, she was determined. Determined to catch the bastard that was ruining her life and to get her little princess back home where she belongs.

After answering the door and letting Leo and Patrick (Detective Cook) inside, she lead them into the living room, and the three of them sat down.

"Before we start, I guess that you should see this. I got it just after I got off the phone with you." Alex said as she pulled up the message on her phone and passed it over for Leo and Patrick to look at. Alex watched as both detectives' eyes widened and facial expressions hardened. Patrick closed out of the message and put the phone down on the table forcefully, angry that Kevin was still able to torment Alex and they couldn't find him to stop him yet.

"We need to make it so that bastard will never see the light of day again." Patrick said, his jaw set in anger. He had come to think of Alex as like a daughter to him since he was assigned to the case and heard her story; actually, he and Leo both thought of her as a daughter. They wanted to protect her, though they couldn't do a very good job of that while Kevin was still out free.

"So, let me help you. Use me as bait to lure him here. Please." Alex said to the two detectives desperately but firmly at the same time. Leo and Patrick looked at each other, then back at Alex. Patrick let out a sigh.

"We do actually have a plan. But, it'll mean that you'll have to be alone in the same room as Kevin for a few minutes." Patrick said to the desperate young mother sitting across from him. Alex nodded her head, signaling for the detectives to continue.

"It's changed a bit now that Kevin knows about our involvement. He's angry now, maybe even furious. So, he's going to try to come after you. What we're going to do is make it seem like we're giving up on the case, so he'll think that you're here unprotected when he tries to get to you. That's when we'll trap him." Patrick explained to Alex, who nodded, taking in the information he just gave her.

"That sounds like a pretty fullproof plan. What happens if something goes wrong?" Nate was the one to ask them, thinking about his Allie's safety.

"The only thing that could possibly go wrong is if we're not notified of when he's inside the house. That part will be up to Alex. She'll need to send me a quick text message when she knows he's inside the house, and I'll make sure you, Shane, and Mitchie know to stay out of there." Leo replied this time. Nate nodded his head in response, accepting his answer.

"And if Alex doesn't have time to send you a text, what happens then?" Shane asked, putting his arm around his 'little sister' protectively. Leo looked at him, a determined look in his eyes.

"If she doesn't have time, we'll still find out one way or another. We have some officer watching this place now from a block away. Nothing will happen to Alex." Leo replied. Alex took a deep breath.

"So, when does our plan go into action?" Alex asked them, gripping Nate's hand nervously. He rubbed it gently with his thumb.

"Right now. We're going to walk outside; we need you to follow behind us and beg us not to give up on your case. We'll refuse to keep working on your case, then leave. We're basically making a scene. Obviously Kevin is watching, and he'll see it. Make it as realistic as you can." Patrick replied as he and Leo stood up. Alex took another deep breath, then stood up with Nate and Shane.

And, they put their plan into action.

_A week later…_

Dressed in a white printed t-shirt and faded blue skinny jeans with silver sequined sandals, Alex walked downstairs and sighed. Though she felt slightly better today because she'd actually changed out of her pajamas and took the time to do her hair and make-up, the phone call she had just gotten from her parents had upset her. They called to tell her that they wouldn't be home for another week, because an unexpected problem came up with the SubStation, and they had to stay to help get it resolved. That didn't upset Alex as much as the fact that her parents still don't know about the danger she's in with Kevin or about the fact that Alex hasn't seen Haylee in three weeks. Alex just didn't have the heart to tell them, knowing that they'd leave the Sandwich convention, which would cause more problems for the SubStation.

With another sigh, Alex walked into the kitchen. She decided not to skip lunch today, like she'd done since Haylee had left, and walked over to the refrigerator. Nate and Shane are at school, and Mitchie is over visiting Haylee again, so she'd only need to make something for herself to eat.

After a few minutes of looking for something to eat, Alex decided on a simple peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. She got out the bread, peanut-butter, and jelly, then them down on the counter. She had just gotten out a butter knife to spread the peanut-butter and jelly with, when she heard a sound that made her freeze, her face paling. It was the sound of the glass window shattering. It was coming from the living room. Alex tightened her grip on the butter knife in her hand, and reached her other hand own to her jeans pocket. She froze again when she realized that her phone wasn't in her pocket. She couldn't text Leo and Patrick for help.

"Oh God, please keep me safe. Don't let him kill me." Alex said quietly. She turned towards the staircase, planning to sneak upstairs and get her phone, but she was stopped by one strong arm around her waist and the other one over her mouth. The one around her waist took the butter knife from her hand and threw it across the room. Alex felt helpless. The scent of cheap cologne hit Alex, and she knew without looking that it was Kevin. She had no hope.

Tears filled her eyes as she felt his hot breath on her neck. She dared to look out of the corner of her eye, and she saw that Kevin had a huge, sharp knife in the front pocket of his pants. Tears filled her eyes.

"Listen, we're going to go upstairs to your bedroom, and you are going to let me do whatever I want. And maybe, just maybe, I'll let you live. Understand?" Kevin whispered, his mouth right next to Alex's ear. She shook with terror and tears, knowing that she couldn't do anything to try and escape or he'd stab her with that knife and kill her. And Haylee would have to live the rest of her life without a mother. So, Alex just nodded her head. She heard Kevin chuckle sickly.

"Good. Now, I'm going to move my hand off your mouth. If you scream, I'll make sure that brat of yours won't ever see her mother again." Kevin said darkly to her. Alex just nodded again. Kevin moved his hand off of her mouth, but kept his other around wrapped tightly around her waist. She knew she'd have a big bruise there, along with one where he'd had his hand over her mouth. That is, if she survived. He took his now free hand and got the knife out of his pocket, placing it against her back as he made her lead him upstairs to her bedroom.

A few minutes later, Kevin had Alex laying on top of her bed only in her undergarments. Alex felt like she was going to get sick. She wanted to be out of the situation she was in. She didn't want Kevin to rape her again. She wanted help.

So, when Kevin stood up to put his knife down on Alex's desk to get it out of the way, Alex knew that she had to at least try to help herself. With tears streaming down her cheeks and herself shaking so badly she could barely see straight, she took a deep breath and let out a loud scream.

"Somebody please help me!" she screamed again, then began sobbing again after Kevin ran across the room and hit her hard across her face. Another bruise.

"Bitch, why the hell did you do that? Now you've made me angry." Kevin said with a look in his eyes that terrified Alex even more. He then got on top of her and ripped her bra off angrily. Alex tried to push him away, pushing as hard as she could. He hit her across the face again, and Alex screamed.

"Somebody, please help me! Help!" she screamed again.

_With Mitchie…_

Mitchie shut her car off and got out of it, shutting it and locking it behind her. She had a picture in her hand that Haylee had colored for Alex, and she couldn't wait to see Alex's face when she saw it. Walking further up the driveway and getting closer to the house, Mitchie noticed the broken window. She furrowed her eyebrows. She hadn't gotten any call from Leo or Patrick saying to stay away from the house.

"That's weird." Mitchie said quietly as she pulled out her cell-phone, double checking for any kind of message from either of the detectives. Nothing. She put her phone back in her pocket before continuing to walk to the house. She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She set her keys down on the table beside the door, and that's when she heard it.

"Somebody, please help me! Please!" it was Alex's voice. Mitchie felt like her heart stopped. She pulled out her phone, dialing Leo's number as fast as she possibly could.

"Help!" she heard Alex scream again. She couldn't wait for Leo to answer. She had to save her best friend. Mitchie ran into the kitchen, setting her phone down on the table with her keys before she did. She grabbed a big chopping knife, then ran upstairs two at a time. She listened and heard noises coming from Alex's bedroom. She quickly ran to the door and opened it, surprising both Alex and Kevin.

She saw Kevin on top of a completely undressed and sobbing Alex. Mitchie had the knife hidden behind her back, and she felt sick when she saw Kevin start to smirk at her. She felt sick, but she also felt as if she could kill him right then and there and not feel any kind of sorry about it. The son of a bitch had raped her best friend and was attempting to do it again.

"Come to join the party? We're having a blast." Kevin asked Mitchie smirking evilly. Alex let out a terrified whimper at his statement. Mitchie became so filled with rage, she could barely see straight.

"Get the hell off of her you sick son of a bitch." Mitchie said in a low, threatening voice. Kevin wasn't affected by her, and he began smirking at her again.

"You want a turn too? You'll have to wait until I'm done with this slut." Kevin said.

Mitchie glanced at Alex, who started shaking and sobbing even more when he called her the one name she couldn't take. That alone made Mitchie so angry, she pulled the knife out from behind her back. And, quicker than Kevin new what Mitchie was doing, she stabbed him hard in his arm. His hand flew to the gash on his arm, and his smirk disappeared.

After a second, he jumped off of Alex and stormed is way over to Mitchie. He hit her across the face, like he did to Alex earlier. As a reflex, her hand holding the knife dropped it and flew to her cheek. Kevin kicked the knife across the room and pushed Mitchie as hard as he could to the ground, then got on top of her.

Mitchie knew what Kevin was planning to do to her, but saw it as an opportunity to get Alex safe. She'd take whatever he did to her as long as he couldn't do it to Alex again. So, as tears filled her eyes and Kevin started ripping at her shirt, she turned her head toward Alex and mouthed "RUN".

Alex stood up quietly and ran out of her room before Kevin could do anything else to her. Once Alex was out of there, Mitchie began kicking and hitting as much as she could, doing anything she could to get away.

Alex ran downstairs, looking for a phone of some kind. She spotted Mitchie's over on the table beside the door and ran over to it. She dialed Leo's number, though it was hard through her sobbing and shaking.

"Detective Thittle here." Leo answered. Alex could barely form words through everything.

"Help. H-He's… Mitchie… H-Help." Alex said, then dropped the phone because her hands were shaking so hard.

It wasn't more than two minutes later when the front door opened. Except, it wasn't Leo or Patrick or any police officer. It was Shane and Nate coming home from school. They took one look at Alex's appearance, then dropped there bags and ran over to her. Nate put his hands on her shaking shoulders, though she winced violently and backed away. Shane took his jacket off quickly and gave it to her. She took it shakily and covered herself with it.

"He… Mitchie… U-U-Upstairs." Alex stuttered out through her sobs. Shane's face hardened as he understood what Alex was saying, and he ran to the staircase, going up as fast as he could. He had to save his girl.

He ran into Alex's room where he heard noises coming from, like Mitchie had. He saw Mitchie sobbing on the floor only undergarments on, and Kevin on top of her. His adrenaline kicked in and he ran over to them, physically picking Kevin up off of her and throwing him against the desk. He looked at Mitchie, who looked relieved to see him.

"Go. Now!" Shane said to Mitchie, urgency in his voice. She nodded and scrambled up as fast as she could. She got out of the room and downstairs as fast as she could, running over to Nate and Alex. Nate took his jacket off and helped Mitchie put it on, seeing as she was shaking too badly to do it herself. She sat down next to the shaking and sobbing Alex and began doing the same.

A few minutes later, the police barged into the house, lead by Leo and Patrick. Nate looked at them

"He's upstairs." Nate said to them, not wanting to leave Alex's or Mitchie's side. The police didn't take any time to say anything, and they rushed upstairs. Leo and Patrick stayed behind, though, and hurried over to Alex and Mitchie. Neither girl noticed them, as they were still shaking with sobs. Patrick reached over and put his hand on Alex's knee in a comforting fatherly gesture. She noticed the weight of his hand on her knee, and hit it away. She looked at him, terror filling her brown eyes, though she didn't say a word.

Nate took a deep breath. He lifted his hand to place it on Alex's shoulder to comfort her, but stopped himself.

"Allie? Did… Did he… Did he a-attack you again?" Nate finally got out, hoping for the best in the situation they were in. Alex looked up into his eyes and shook her head no.

"N-N-No. Mitchie s-saved me." Alex replied in a tiny hoarse voice. Nate seemed relieved, then glanced over at Mitchie.

"Mitch? Did he attack you?" Nate asked her, concern being the main emotion he had. Mitchie didn't look up, but still shook her head no. Alex looked over at her; her best friend, the one that saved her from having her worst nightmare come true again. More tears rushed down Alex's cheeks as she reached over and pulled Mitchie into a hug. Mitchie, knowing it was Alex without even picking her head up, hugged her best friend back tightly. No matter how humiliated, exposed, or just plain bad Mitchie feels right now, she knows that she'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving Alex from her worst nightmare.

A few seconds later, the police officers lead Kevin downstairs, his hands locked in handcuffs. Leo and Patrick stood up and walked over to them when they saw him. Patrick looked at the officers that were holding him.

"Have you read him his rights?" Patrick asked them.

"Not yet, sir. We thought you'd like to since you've been working on this case for so long." one of the officers replied. Patrick and Leo both nodded.

"Alright then. Kevin James, you're under arrest for the rape of Alex Russo, the attempted rape of both Alex Russo and Mitchie Torres, and assault on both Alex Russo and Haylee Russo. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Leo said to Kevin, who now had bruises forming on his face along with some blood. It made sense, though, because after Mitchie went downstairs, Shane beat the crap out of him.

After Patrick read the bastard the rest of his rights, the police officers started to take him out of the house. They were stopped, though, by the sound of a very hoarse and tired, but at the same time fierce and determined voice.

"Wait." Alex said, fire in her red, tear-filled eyes. She slowly and shakily stood up and walked over to Kevin. She stared at him for a moment, before biting her lip as more tears came and slapping him as hard as she possibly could across his face.

"You ruined my entire life three years ago. You made it so that I was scared of anything, and I never let my guard down. A simple, yet harsh, word makes my entire world crash down again when I hear it; slut. Have you ever had one word that could do that to you? I bet you haven't, because you get some kind of sick, twisted pleasure from others' pain. Somedays, I just want to die. I just want to crawl into my bed and die because the memories of when you stole every part of my innocence flood my mind and I can't stop them. Sleep should be an escape from everything; and you'd think it would be. But, have you ever had nightmares so real and so horrific that you wake yourself up screaming or choking on your tears? YOU did all of that to me. YOU made my life Hell." Alex said, her voice steady and fierce the entire time. She wasn't done, though. She took a deep breath.

"But, even though you did all of that to me, and even though you tried to do the exact same thing to my best friend, I've still found it in myself to forgive you. Why? Well, because while you gave me every part of Hell, you gave me every part of Heaven too; my daughter. She got me through everything, and she's my little rock. She's my guardian angel, sent down to me from God when he knew I needed a miracle to keep myself going." Alex took another deep breath,

"I do, however, hope you rot your stupid ass off in prison, you sick, stupid son of a bitch. I hope the guilt from everything you've done will someday hit you like a ton of bricks, and you have to find some way to live with yourself. I hope YOU have nightmares, and YOU have days where you just want to die. And, I hope you always remember that you may have taken my virginity, but you didn't take my life away and you didn't take my dignity." Alex said, then turned her back to him and took a deep breath, willing her tears to stay away at least until Kevin was out of the house. She wasn't going to let him see her cry again.

And, as the police lead Kevin out of her house, tears rolled down Alex's cheeks. Not tears of sadness, not tears of hurt or pain, but tears and tears of relief. Her monster was gone, and he couldn't ever hurt her or the ones she loves ever again.

Alex stood there and watched as the front door to her house closed, ad then she felt Nate's arms around her. This time, she forced herself not to pull away.

"I'm so, so proud of you, Allie. So proud." Nate whispered as he kissed her head. Shane did the exact same thing to Mitchie, and they stayed like that for a while. Until Alex decided that she couldn't wait much longer to see her little girl.

"We'll let you two girls go get dressed. Then we'll go get Haylee." Nate said to Alex and Mitchie. Alex and Mitchie linked hands and walked upstairs and into Mitchie's room together. Mitchie didn't think it would be a good idea for either of them to see the damage done to Alex's room just yet. Once they got into Mitchie's room, Alex sat down on her bed while Mitchie walked over to her closet.

"Mitchie?" Alex asked in a small voice from Mitchie's bed. Mitchie looked over at her.

"What's up, Lexie?" Mitchie asked in a gentle voice. Her voice was hoarse from crying too.

"Thank-you. For saving me and risking yourself and everything else. You didn't have to. I could've gone through being attacked again; I've survived it before." Alex said, tears filling her eyes again. Mitchie rushed over to her and pulled her into a big hug.

"Oh Lex, I wouldn't have let him attack you again. You think you could have taken it, but you would have never been then same ever again. H-He didn't even get all of my clothes off. I'm fine. And, I'd do it again if it were necessary. I'd do anything to keep you safe, Lexie. You're my best friend." Mitchie said to Alex with a watery smile. Alex pulled away and smiled at Mitchie.

"Sisters, Mitchie. Were not best friends, we're sisters." Alex replied, making Mitchie smile.

About an hour later, both girls were cleaned up and dressed, their hair and make-up done as well. Mitchie was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans with a yellow flowy tank-top and white sandals. Her hair was just down in it's natural curls. Alex was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans with rhinestones on them and a cream colored V-neck shirt with a black tank-top underneath. She had on black ballet flats with her outfit, and her hair was clipped in the back. Both girls were ready to go.

Truthfully, both girls were still traumatized by the day's events, and both girls would like to crawl into bed and just cry for a while, but that wasn't part of their whole "Staying Strong" plan. They had to force themselves to move on and get over it so they could be okay. And, Alex was more than ready to get her baby girl back. She could hardly wait to have her Haylee in her arms again.

About fifteen minutes later, Shane drove the car full of himself, Alex, Mitchie, and Nate into Miley's driveway. Alex didn't even wait for him to stop the car before she unbuckled her seat-belt and jumped out of the car. She ran the rest of the way to the door and ran inside, not bothering to knock.

"Haybear! Haybear, Mommy's here!" Alex called excitedly when she stepped inside. She heard a pause, then light footsteps running towards the front door. When Haylee came into view, a huge smile overtook Alex's face, and she ran up to her little girl and picked her up into her arms, hugging her tightly and never wanting to let go.

"Oh Haylee. My little Haybear." Alex said softly as she hugged her little girl and stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head repeatedly. Miley, having heard Alex's voice, walked into the room. She didn't say a word though. She just watched the sweet reunion with a smile on her face. Mrs. Stewart came up beside her and watched with her, smiling just like Miley.

"I get to cwome home now, Mommy?" Haylee asked once she pulled away. Alex grinned at her little girl, thinking she was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.

"Yes, my sweet girl. You get to come home and stay with me forever and ever." Alex replied as she used one of her hands to push some hair out of Haylee's face. Haylee started grinning, which made Alex smile again. She hugged Haylee close to her and tightly once again, smiling again when she remembered that she'd never have to leave her little princess again.

Mitchie, Nate, and Shane walked into the house, and smiled at the sight of Alex hugging Haylee in front of them.

"Me, Nate, and Shane will go pack Haylee's stuff, Lex." Mitchie said to Alex, who nodded at her with a smile. Mitchie lead Shane and Nate into Haylee's temporary bedroom. Alex looked up and saw Miley and Mrs. Stewart smiling at her. She smiled back at them, feeling like all she could do at the moment was smile.

"Thank-you so, so much for keeping my little girl safe. I just, I just don't know how to put the amount of gratitude I have for y'all into words." Alex said to them. They smiled and walked over to her, hugging her.

"Alex, if you ever need help again, don't hesitate to ask. And, you don't need to thank us. You helped to show me that my mom doesn't, and never could, hate me." Miley said to Alex. Alex smiled.

Shane and Nate cleaned up the mess left in Alex's room and washed her bed stuff later on that evening, and Haylee slept cuddled up to her mommy in Alex's bed. Alex didn't get very much sleep, though, still shaken up from earlier. Shane slept in Mitchie's room with her, so he'd be there if she needed him, and she did need him when she woke up from awful nightmares throughout the night. He just held her close as she cried, and reassured her that everything was okay now. Nate slept in his room next to Alex's, though he didn't get very much sleep as he stayed up, listening to make sure that Alex didn't have a nightmare or need him.

It would take a while before Mitchie and Alex were completely okay again, and neither of them could wait for the day they'd be completely okay. But finally, FINALLY, Kevin was somewhere where he couldn't ever get to them again.

**A/N: That's it for this one! I hope y'all liked it! I think it turned out pretty well. (:**

**Now, for the IMPORTANT part I told y'all about at the beginning. This story will be coming to an end soon. It's just that, after Nate and Alex get together, I won't have anything else to write about. I don't was to string it along. BUT, turn that frown upside down, because I do have ideas in mind for a SEQUEL! They're pretty good ideas, too. So, there will be a sequel. (: **

**Anyways, thank-you for your patience! I'm sorry it took so long to update. **

**P L E A S E R E V I E W ! ! ! : )**

**I love y'all! (:**

**-Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…..**

"_I'm ready to go back to school."_

…_._

"_Dude, I like Allie as just a friend. Nothing more than that."_

…_._

"_We found out that there was another girl Kevin attacked."_

…_._

"_There is no way your child came from you being raped. You're just lying so that people don't think you're a slut."_

…_._

"_Allie, that was beautiful. Will you sing again, for me?"_


	10. Like A Skyscraper

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 9: Like A Skyscraper**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey y'all! How has everyone been? How are the wife and kids? …. Good! :D**

**I've missed y'all, like bunches. I know, I know. Y'all have missed me too.. (; **

**I was glad to read that y'all liked the last episode. And, I'm happy Haylee is back with Alex too. It was weird not writing parts with them together. (:**

**Also, I've set myself a goal: At least 50 reviews on this story before it ends! That would be incredible, and I'm soooo close! So, review! Tell your best friend to review! Tell your best friend's boyfriend's cousin to review! Hahah, I love y'all. (:**

**I also wanted to talk to y'all kinda seriously for a moment. You're all aware of what cyber bullying is, I'm sure. I haven't seen the movie yet, but that's on my to-do list. I've been on Twitter the past few nights and experienced cyber bullying going on. Not to me, thankfully, but to poor, innocent people who are more fragile than me and who can't take that kind of thing. It broke my heart when I read that one of the people I was following was cyber bullied to the point where she cut herself severely, and her best friend and her mom found her unconscious in the bathroom with a suicide note laying next to her. Thank God, she's going to be okay. Her best friend has been tweeting us updates. And, a really sweet girl I'm following has been receiving lots of hate and even death threats! Guys, cyber bullying is a serious issue. I didn't realize how serious until I actually saw it happen. We need to put an end to it. So many people harm or even kill themselves over it, and YOU are so much more important and special than haters tell you you are. In the words of Selena Gomez, "YOU have every right to a beautiful life." If you experience this happening, like I did, instead of sending hate to the bully, send several words of LOVE to the one being bullied. It matters more that the person realizes that people DO love them and that they ARE important and worth every bit of life. **

**I hope my beautiful readers wouldn't ever consider being a cyber bully. And, for those of you that have been cyber bullied before, I can only imagine what you went through, but I'm so happy you stayed strong. Spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:**

**Written-in-hearts: **Haha, I think Haylee's pretty cute too. Thank-you for your review, and I really hope you like this episode! Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:

**Ally-Woods-rox: **I'm glad you liked it! I'm glad you're happy Kevin's gone. Here's a secret: I'm happy Kevin's gone as well. Thank-you or your review! I hope you love this episode just as much as you loved the last one. (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:

**unperfectt: **I'VE MISSED YOU TOOO. (: Thank-you soo much for your sweet, sweet review! (: I'm glad everyone is happy that Kevin's gone; I'm happy too. Haha, you'll get plenty of Nate and Alex together soon, but they won't be together just yet. You'll see why in this episode. (; You'll get the chance to write your dramatic review about how much you want Nate and Alex together, and again, you'll find out why in this episode. I've got to throw some drama in there. (: I'm SO happy you're on board for the sequel. I'm excited to start writing it. And, I'll never doubt my readers; y'all are absolutely incredible. As for Kevin in the sequel, welllll, I don't want to ruin any surprises, but he won't PERSONALLY be in it. That's all I can say for now. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as the last one! (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:

**Brittana Forever: **Well, thank-you very much. (: I'm pretty happy about Alex getting Haylee back and not having to worry about Kevin anymore as well. (: I am glad you liked the last episode! Andd, if you like this episode just as much, I'll be even more glad. (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:

**ContentsPriceless: **I know I already replied to your review, BUT I wouldn't feel right if I didn't put a review reply on here tooo. Haha. (: Thank-you for your sweet review! It made me very happy. (: I'm sorry it took me so long to get this episode out, and I hope you're able to read it before you leave for camp! Also, I hope you have fun at camp! I hope you enjoy this episode! Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:

**I love each and every one of you more than you could know. Spread LOVE instead of HATE! (: I hope y'all like this episode!**

**The song in it is 'Skyscraper' by Demi Lovato.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Wizards of Waverly Place and Camp Rock, I'd be rich. I'm not rich. But, I do own sweet little Haylee and the idea for this story! (:**

**STARTING STORY:**

Exactly six days passed since the Kevin terror came to an end and Alex got Haylee back. Those six days were some of the hardest for both Mitchie and Alex, though they tried their absolute hardest to hide how shattered they actually were. Shane and Nate played along with the girls when they said they were okay, but they knew better. They knew, just by looking into the girls' eyes that they were far from okay.

Alex had Haylee with her twentyfour-seven, never letting her out of her sight. That didn't bother Haylee the slightest bit, though. She was so happy to be back with her Mommy.

It's Sunday today; the same day Mr. Russo, Mrs. Russo, and Max are coming home. The same day that Alex has to sit her parents down and explain to them that even though both she and Mitchie were almost raped, her nightmare was locked away and couldn't harm any of them again. To say she was nervous would be an understatement, but she was ready.

Alex walked down the stairs that morning, balancing Haylee on her hip, and into the kitchen where the strong scent of pancakes and bacon were coming from. She was dressed in a pair of blue jean shorts with a red Paramore band t-shirt and red flip-flops, her curly hair up in a ponytail. Haylee was wearing a big Spiderman t-shirt that said 'Chicks Love Superheroes' with black leggings underneath and black converse, her curly hair pushed back with a white headband. Even though it was the middle of November, it was still warm enough to wear things like that.

When they got to the bottom step, Alex set Haylee and walked over to the kitchen table, where Mitchie was sitting, a cup of coffee in her hand. Alex sat down across from her. Haylee ran off to the living room where Nate and Shane were.

''Morning, Mitchie. How did you sleep?" Alex asked her best friend. Mitchie looked at her and smiled a weak smile.

"Umm, I slept okay. What about you?" Mitchie asked in a tired, raspy voice. Alex could tell from the bags under Mitchie's eyes that she was lying. Alex sighed quietly and gave Mitchie an I'm-your-best-friend-you-can-tell-me-the-truth look. Mitchie sighed and looked away. When she looked back at Alex, tears completely filled her eyes.

"I just, I can't forget everything that happened, Lex. I can't make myself forget that some repulsive bastard had me trapped underneath him, stripped down only to my underwear, and was about to take something so valuable to me." Mitchie said, her voice cracking in various places. She looked down at her hands around the coffee cup and whispered, "I just don't know how you're so put together and okay when I'm falling apart."

Alex felt tears in her own eyes as she literally saw her best friend breaking, piece by piece.

"Mitchie, I'm not as put together as you think I am. On the outside, it sure looks like it, but on the inside I'm breaking apart. I have to make myself look like I'm completely okay, though, so my little girl won't worry about me. It's okay to feel scared and violated, and it's even okay to cry. We've been through a hell of a lot more than most people our age, and it's expected for us to break down and fall apart. But, we've at least got to try and stay strong. Our monster is locked away, and he's not coming back." Alex said to Mitchie, then reached a hand up and wiped away a few tears that fell. Mitchie looked back up at her and wiped her own tears.

Mitchie took a few slop, deep breath to calm herself down and stop the tears, then she stood up and walked to Alex. She reached down and hugged her tight, thanking God in her head for giving her such an amazing best friend.

"Thank-you, Lexie. I love you." Mitchie whispered as she continued to hug Alex. Alex hugged her back, sniffling just a little.

"I love you too, Mitch. Thank-you for saving me from him." Alex whispered back. Hearing Alex say those words, Mitchie was reminded of why she allowed Kevin to almost rape her; to save her best friend from her recurring nightmare. Mitchie hugged Alex even tighter as she thought about just how much Alex had been through in her life.

"You're the strongest person I know." was the last thing Mitchie whispered before the two pulled apart and Haylee ran into the room. Both girls were quick to wipe the tears from their faces so Haylee wouldn't suspect anything was wrong with them.

"Momma! Momma! Momma!" Haylee said excitedly as she ran to Alex and jumped into her lap. Alex and Mitchie smiled at the little girl.

"Haylee! Haylee! Haylee! What?" Alex asked the very excited Haylee, mocking her playfully. Haylee giggled as she looked at Alex.

"Gwandma and Gwandpa and Uncwle Max just pwulled up!" Haylee replied excitedly, her eyes shining. Alex shot Mitchie a nervous glance, thinking about having to tell them everything that happened, then looked back down at Haylee and forced an excited smile.

"That's great, Haybear! Why don't you go wait at the door for them." Alex said to Haylee, who nodded happily, jumped off of Alex's lap, and ran to stand by the door. Alex shot Mitchie another nervous glance, and Mitchie's expression matched her own then.

Both Mitchie and Alex stood up then and walked to the living room. Shane smiled at the girls, being the first one to notice they came in there.

"Hey Mitchie. Hey Alex." Shane said with a smile. Nate heard Shane and looked over at the girls, sending them a big smile.

"Hey Allie, Hey Mitchie. How are y'all today?" Nate asked the girls, hoping for a good response. It hurt both him and Shane to see them so hurt and fragile.

"Hey guys. Our parents and Max are back." Mitchie said, not wanting to answer Nate's question and disappoint him with her answer. Without another word, Mitchie turned and headed for the door to wait with Haylee. Shane stood up from the couch and followed after Mitchie, giving Alex a sort hug on his way out of the room. Alex walked over to Nate and sat down next to him.

"So, how are you today?" Nate asked Alex, smiling softly. Alex shrugged, faking a small smile.

"On the outside, I'm perfect. On the inside, not so much. But, you don't need to worry about me." Alex replied, crossing her legs and sitting back. Nate looked at her, and Alex could see the worry in his eyes. He reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it in his own, but before he could say anything they heard..

"Gwandma! Gwandpa! Uncwle Max!" Haylee squealed excitedly. Alex squeezed Nate's hand reassuringly one time, as if telling him to stop worrying about her, then stood up and walked around the corner to the front door. Nate sighed, then got up and followed her.

Mrs. Russo hugged Shane and Nate first, thanking them for keeping Alex, Haylee, and Mitchie safe. She then walked over to Mitchie and Alex. She took one look at them, and the girls watched as worry and concern filled her eyes.

"Girls, what's wrong?" she asked them flat-out. Mitchie and Alex looked at each other, then back at Mrs. Russo.

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." Alex lied, forcing a smile onto her face. Mitchie did the same. It wasn't the right time to tell them everything, especially not with Haylee standing there with them.

"I can tell something happened just by the looks on your faces. What's going on?" Mrs. Russo asked them, worry creeping into her voice. Alex and Mitchie looked at each other again. Alex sighed and looked down at Haylee.

"Haybear, why don't you go help Uncle Max unpack." Alex said to her little girl, who began grinning like that was the best idea in the entire world.

"Yay!" she squealed, then grabbed Max's hand and started pulling him towards the staircase. Chuckling at her, Max followed behind. Once they were gone, Alex sighed again and looked at her parents.

"Let's go to the living room to talk." she said to them, then began walking to the living room with Mitchie. Mr. and Mrs. Russo exchanged worried glances before they followed behind Nate and Shane, who decided it would help Alex and Mitchie if they were there with them.

The four teenagers sat down on the couch, and Mr. and Mrs. Russo each sat down in a chair across from them. They waited patiently while Alex and Mitchie took a few deep breaths.

An hour passed by, a long, tear-filled hour. In that hour, Alex and Mitchie explained to their parents everything that happened since they left. They couldn't look at their parents as they told them about Kevin almost raping both of them, but they didn't have to look to know how they took that information. They could hear Mrs. Russo choke on a sob and Mr. Russo sniffle quietly. After they were finished, no one said anything for a full fifteen minutes, both parents absorbing the information they were just told.

"My girls." Mrs. Russo said, then choked on another sob. Mr. Russo still didn't say anything, but it killed the girls to see the tears that filled his usually happy eyes. Alex shakily stood up and walked over to him, squatting down next to his chair. She forced her tears away and put her hand on his shoulder, deciding to stay as strong as she could for him.

"Daddy, everything's okay. I'm okay. And, if you need to cry, you can." Alex said to him, her voice cracking slightly at the end. Jerry looked down at his daughter, his little girl, and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and he couldn't stop the tears that began quickly rolling down his cheeks.

Mitchie stood up and walked over to Teresa She didn't say a word as Teresa pulled her into a tight hug, holding on as if she were holding on for dear life.

And they stayed like that for the longest time, both parents holding on to the daughters they were so grateful were still alive and okay. Fortunately Max kept Haylee up in his room the whole time.

After about another hour, Mitchie pulled away from Teresa, and Teresa wiped Mitchie's tears.

"Are you okay, sweetie? Are you really okay?" Teresa asked her daughter gently. Mitchie nodded her head.

"I saved my best friend, and even if I'm still shaken up, it's completely worth it. I'll be okay." Mitchie replied reassuringly. Teresa smiled a tear-filled, sympathetic smile and kissed Mitchie's forehead.

"I'm proud of you. So, so proud of you." Teresa whispered.

"I love you, Daddy. Everything's going to be okay." Alex whispered softly to Jerry, who had just pulled away from her. He forced a smile on his face as he reached a hand out and pushed a stray piece of hair out of Alex's face.

"I love you too, my princess. And I'm so sorry that happened to you." Jerry said, his voice catching in his throat at the end. Alex wiped a few of her tears away.

"H-He.. He didn't.. fully r-rape me this time. Mitchie saved me. I'm going to be okay." Alex said to her dad shakily. He looked at her for a minute, before he pulled her into another hug. He was silently thanking God for such amazing and strong daughters.

_Later on that night, after dinner…._

Nate was in his room, sitting on his bed and studying for an algebra test he had tomorrow, when he heard a soft knock at his door. It was decided earlier that he and Shane would wait until the weekend to pack their stuff and head back to their own house.

Not looking up from his algebra book, he said "Come in!" A second later, Alex walked into his room, a guitar in one hand and a notebook in the other one. Nate looked up at her; she was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and an old purple t-shirt. He thought she looked beautiful.

Nate looked from Alex to the guitar and notebook in her hands. He shot her a puzzled look, and she sighed quietly and walked over to him. She sat down beside him on his bed.

"What's up, Allie?" Nate asked her. She looked at him.

"I-I wrote a song, and I really need to sing it to somebody. Mitchie and Haylee are asleep, and Shane's in there with Mitchie so he'll be there when she wakes up with nightmares. So I was wondering if I could sing it to you." Alex said quietly. Nate looked at her, one of his eyebrows raising. He had absolutely no idea that Alex wrote songs or sang or even played the guitar. But, nevertheless, he smiled at her.

"Of course you can, Allie. What's your song about?" Nate asked her, closing his algebra book and pushing it to the side.

"It's about, well everything that has happened to me basically. And everything that I know people are going to say about me when I get back to school. And how even though I've been through so much, I'm still strong." Alex replied, and Nate could hear just how fragile Alex was at that moment by the sound of her voice when she said that. He nodded at her, silently telling her that she could start.

Alex took a deep breath, then pulled her guitar into her lap. After another deep breath, Alex began strumming it. A second later, her beautiful voice filled the air in Nate's bedroom.

"_Skies are crying, I am watching, catching teardrops in my hand. Only silence has its ending, like we never had a chance. Do you have to make me feel like there's nothing left of me?" _Alex sung the first verse of her song beautifully, emotion filling her voice. She then began the chorus.

"_You can take everything I have. You break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper." _as Alex sang those words, Nate felt tears sting the back of his eyes. She'd put every emotion she had into her song, and he could hear just how much she was hurting. It killed him.

"_As the smoke clears, I awaken, and untangle you from me. Would it make you feel better, to watch me while I bleed? All my windows still are broken, but I'm standing on my feet." _Alex finished the second verse, then took a deep breath to keep her tears away as she sung the chorus again.

"_You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper." _Tears began to fall down Alex's face, but she didn't stop singing to wipe them away. It felt good to get her emotions out.

"_Go. Run, run, run. I'm gonna stay right here, watch you disappear. Yeah. Go. Run, run, run. Yeah it's a long way down, but I am closer to the clouds up here." _Alex finished singing the bridge and moved on to the chorus again. This time, though, it was filled with even more emotion, emotion she didn't even know she had.

"_You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Oh, oh. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper." _Alex sang with as much passion as she could, tears continuously streaming down her cheeks. Nate watched in absolute amazement, a few tears even sneaking their way down his own cheeks.

"_Like a Skyscraper." _Alex finished then song, then set her guitar down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she opened them back up and wiped her tears away. Nate quickly wiped at his own tears before Alex could see them.

"Allie, that was absolutely beautiful. Will you sing again, for me?" he asked her in amazement. Alex looked up at him, and she could see the honesty in his eyes. She smiled a small smile.

"Maybe another time. I think that was enough crying for one night." Alex replied with her small smile. Nate smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut into the hug, forcing her tears to stay away. When they pulled apart, she smiled at him.

"So, what were you studying when I came in?" Alex asked him, trying to start a normal conversation. Nate picked is algebra book up off the floor and set it back down in front of him.

"Algebra. I have this big test on it tomorrow." Nate replied making a disgusted expression. Alex giggled a little at him and pulled the book over to her so she could see it. She opened it to the page Nate had marked and looked down at it. She already knew how to do it, and Nate looked like he needed help, so she scooted closer to him and began explaining everything to him in great detail.

About two hours later, Nate finished the very last practice problem. Alex looked down at his work, then looked back up at him with a big grin.

"That's right!" she said to him, how proud she was of him audible in her voice. He grinned back at her and closed his book again.

"Thanks for helping me, Allie." Nate said to her, smiling. Alex smiled back, but didn't respond. She was quiet for a minute thinking about things, before she looked back at Nate.

"I'm ready to go back to school." she said to him. He felt his protectiveness of her overcome himself, and he looked at her worriedly.

"Allie, I don't know. It's only been a week since…" Nate started, but Alex cut him off with a small sigh.

"I know it's only been a week, but I've got to at last try to move on from everything. I know it's going to be hard because everyone knows about Haylee, but I can't just stay home for the rest of my life." Alex explained to him. Nate felt guilty as he thought about how much harder he made it for Alex by telling everyone about Haylee. Alex looked into his brown eyes and saw the guilt in them. She smiled reassuringly and placed her hand on his.

"Don't feel guilty. Everyone would have found out about Haylee eventually anyway." Alex whispered to him softly. He nodded, but he was quiet for a minute before he spoke again.

"So, are you starting back tomorrow?" he asked her. By his tone, Alex could tell that he wasn't exactly pleased about her going back, but he knew she needed to. Alex smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Mitchie is too. I actually already talked to my parents about it earlier. My mom called and explained to the principal and counselor everything that happened, just so they'd know and sort of watch out for us." Alex replied.

"Me and Shane are going to watch out for y'all too. We won't let anybody hurt you." Nate said to her seriously. Alex smiled and nodded as she reached over and kissed Nate's cheek before she stood up.

"I figured y'all would, and I really appreciate it. Good night, Nate." Alex said to Nate before she grabbed her guitar and notebook, then walked out of Nate's bedroom. Nate smiled after her.

The next morning, Alex and Mitchie both got up especially early. Though both of them had nights filled with nightmares and tossing and turning, they were actually kind of excited to be going back to school.

"Should I wear the red shirt or the blue one?" Mitchie asked Alex as she held up two of the same shirts, just in different colors. Alex, who was sitting at her vanity fixing her hair, looked at them for a minute before she pointed to the blue and white striped shirt.

"The blue one. It's more you." Alex replied. Mitchie smiled and threw the red shirt back into the closet before she walked off to the bathroom to get dressed.

Alex smiled at her reflection in the mirror once she had her hair pushed back with a silver-sequined headband. She stood up and took a step back, checking her outfit. She was wearing a black t-shirt, a white tank-top with a strand of silver sequins going around it on top, with a pair of dark skinny jeans and white converse.

After making sure her eyeliner and mascara looked okay, Alex walked out of her bedroom and down the hall to Haylee's. When she walked inside, Haylee was still asleep in her bed, cuddled up with a white teddy bear she'd named Howard. Alex smiled lovingly at the sight before she walked over and squatted down next to her bed. She leaned down and kissed Haylee's cheek before she gently shook her awake.

After just a minute, Haylee's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at her mommy.

"Morning, Mommy." little Haylee said as she sat up. Alex smiled at Haylee and pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Good morning, baby girl." Alex said with a smile, then pulled Haylee over and into her lap. Haylee wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and hugged her tightly.

"Now, listen. We've got to get you dressed; you're spending the day with Grandma today." Alex said as she stood up with Haylee still in her arms. Haylee pulled away from the hug and looked at Alex questioningly.

"Momma be there?" Haylee asked. Alex's smile faltered a little, and she sat down on Haylee's bed with Haylee still in her lap.

"No, Momma's not gonna be with y'all today. Momma and Aunt Mitchie are going to school with Nate and Uncle Shane today." Alex said gently to the worried little girl in her arms. Haylee looked at her again.

"When will you be bwack home?" Haylee asked her. Alex smiled reassuringly at her little girl. The excitedness she had over going back to school earlier that morning was slowly leaving her as she saw the sadness in her daughter's face.

"We'll be back home at 3:30. I promise, you'll have so much fun with Grandma, time will just fly by." Alex said then kissed the top of Haylee's head. Haylee sighed a small sigh, then held out her pinky finger at Alex.

"Pinky pwomise?" Haylee asked her, acting as if a pinky promise was the most serious promise any person could make. Alex had to hold back a giggle as she linked her own finger with her daughter's. When she did, Haylee began to smile again and she hugged Alex. Alex laughed and picked Haylee up, walking over to her closet.

"Alright girlie, let's get you dressed." Alex said with a grin as she set Haylee on the ground and opened the closet door.

Forty-five minutes later, Alex and Mitchie were standing at the front door of school. They'd been standing there for a full five minutes, but Alex couldn't make herself go inside. She was worried about the one thing she'd told herself not to worry about; that everyone would torment and torture her and call her names until the day she graduated. At that moment, Alex wanted to turn around and go back to her little girl, the one who wouldn't ever think a bad thought about her, let alone say one.

Alex turned to Mitchie, worry and fear filling her eyes. Mitchie saw it and pulled Alex into a big hug.

"Everything will be okay, Lexie. You can do this." Mitchie said to Alex once they pulled apart. She reached over and gave Alex's hand a reassuring squeeze before she opened the school doors and walked inside. Alex took a deep breath, then slowly followed behind Mitchie.

Nobody noticed her at first; they were all too busy catching up with their friends about what happened over the weekend. Alex felt hopeful, like nobody was going to say anything to her. That is, she felt hopeful until she reached her locker. What she saw made tears rush to her eyes and all the hopefulness fade away.

There, written on her locker in big, red letters, was the word SLUT.

Mitchie didn't notice it at first, but when she did, she quickly turned Alex away from it. She then looked at all the people who were either smirking or laughing while looking at Alex. Fire burned inside of Mitchie, and rage filled her body.

"THIS," Mitchie started, gesturing to her best friend's vandalized locker, "Is not funny! Whoever did this, you are a heartless, cold jerk." Mitchie said, then grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her away, leading her to the girls' bathroom. On their walk there, they were met with comments such as "Slut." or "Who's the father of your little brat?" or "Why the hell would anyone sleep with you?"

Those comments only made more tears fall down Alex's cheeks. She hated the fact that she as crying in front of these heartless people, showing them her weakness, but she couldn't stop herself. Their words hurt her.

Once they were safely in the bathroom, Alex sank down to the floor and cried into her knees. She knew that not everyone would respect her after they found out about Haylee, but she didn't expect everyone to be so cruel. She hadn't been prepared for that.

Mitchie took one look at her best friend and instantly felt pain for her. She walked over to her and sat down next to her, rubbing her back as she cried.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Lex. They're all just stupid and immature. If they knew what happened to get Haylee here, they wouldn't have done that. " Mitchie said softly to Alex as she continued to rub her back.

About fifteen minutes later, Alex took a few deep breaths, then looked up at Mitchie with mascara and eyeliner smeared eyes.

"M-Maybe that's the answer, Mitchie. Maybe I should just tell them about K-Kevin." Alex said as she wiped at her eyes. Mitchie looked at her.

"Lexie, its none of their business. You don't have to tell them if you don't want to." Mitchie said to her, trying to make sure that Alex had thought what she'd just said through. Alex sighed quietly and stood up. She walked over to the sink, where she washed the smeared makeup off her face. With her shaking hands, she pulled her makeup bag out of her purse and unzipped. Then, as she began to reo her eyeliner, she spoke.

"I know it's not any of their business, and I know I don't have to tell them anything. But, it would make things so much easier, Mitchie. They'd know not to call me that horrid name anymore." Alex said, her voice hoarse and filled with emotion. Mitchie stood up and walked over to her.

"If you're completely positive that telling them is what you want to do, then I'll be by your side the entire time." Mitchie said to her. And, for the first time since she'd gotten to school, Alex smiled. It was a very tiny smile, but it was still a smile.

A few minutes later, once Alex had her makeup fixed, she and Mitchie walked out of the bathroom. Each dirty comment she received on the way back to her locker felt like a kick in the stomach, but Alex just took a deep breath, thought about her daughter's sweet face, and kept walking. When she got to her locker, she was surprised to see Nate and Shane standing there, and the vandalism nowhere to be found.

Nate noticed the girls come up to them, and he smiled at them, though Alex could clearly see rage in his eyes.

"We cleaned up the mess on your locker for you." Nate said quietly to her. Alex smiled another small smile and hugged him tightly. She felt safe while she was in his arms.

"Thank-you." she whispered before they pulled apart. Once they did pull apart, Alex looked over at Mitchie, who shot her a reassuring glance. Alex took a deep breath, then turned to face the crowd that was still gathered around her locker.

"I-I have something to say." Alex said to them in a strong, yet shaky voice. One voice from the back of the crown piped up and yelled, "Is it something about ho you couldn't keep your legs together and wound up with a baby at fifteen years old?" that comment hurt Alex. The next one, though, "Slut!", that was yelled sent Alex over the edge.

"I said, I have something to say! Now, are you going to shut your heartless, judgmental mouths long enough to hear me say it?" Alex yelled this time, her voice stronger. The crowd just yelled more hurtful comments her way, and Alex felt herself breaking right there in front of them.

"I was raped! Three years ago, I was raped by some repulsive monster, and that's where my beautiful daughter came from! I'm not some s.. slut like all of you seem to think I am; I told him that I didn't want to have sex but he made me do it anyway. I didn't even get a choice." Alex's voice broke at the end. She couldn't stop the memories that flooded her mind, and she couldn't stop the tears that poured from her eyes.

The crowd, was completely speechless as they watched her shatter down in front of them. No one knew the right thing to say and they all felt guilty for the torment they gave her.

"I-I didn't want his dry lips anywhere on my body, and I-I didn't want his dirty self inside of me. But, I couldn't stop him. He… He was too strong for me. I-I couldn't stop him!" Alex said as memories flashed through her mind and her tears continued to pour down her cheeks. She was having a breakdown.

Alex sunk down to the floor as put her hands over her eyes as she tried to make the memories stop. But, they wouldn't. She tried to make her fountain of tears stop too, but they wouldn't stop either.

Mitchie saw her best friend in such a broken state, and she knew that the only person that could make her okay again was the only person not there at school. Mitchie stepped away for a minute and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed her mom's number as fast as she possibly could. She felt relieved when she picked up.

"Mitchie?" her mom answered, sounding confused and worried.

"Alex is having a huge breakdown, Mom. Will you please get Haylee here as fast as you can? I think she's the only one that can calm Alex down." Mitchie asked into the phone. She knew se sounded panicked, but she couldn't help it. She heard her mom gasp.

"Oh lord. Yes, I'll have Haylee there in about five minutes." her mom replied. Mitchie didn't say anything back, only hung up and ran over to Alex. She sat down next to her and hugged her tightly.

"Shh. Lexie, everything's okay. Haylee's going to be here soon, and everything's going to be okay." Mitchie said softly, though it didn't help anything. Alex just continuously cried and said "stop", trying to make the memories go away.

Mitchie sat with Alex for a few minutes, and Alex didn't get any better. That is, until she heard the voice of her little rock.

"Momma! Mommy!" little Haylee yelled as she ran from Mrs. Russo's arms to Alex. She wrapped her small arms around Alex and sat down in her lap. Mrs. Russo stood a sort distance away, the principal and the counselor right behind her just in case Haylee being there didn't help.

"It's otay, Momma. It's otay. Stop crying." Haylee said as she reached up and kissed Alex's nose.

That was all it took for the memories to completely stop. Alex wrapped her arms around Haylee and held her close, shaking with sobs.

"Oh, Haylee. My little Haylee Elle." Alex whispered as her sobs slowed and she was only crying.

"Everything's otay, Momma." little Haylee said softly again as she hugged Alex back.

It took a few minutes, but Alex's tears eventually stopped completely as she held Haylee close to her. Once her tears stopped completely, Alex continuously kissed Haylee's head.

"Thank-you, Haybear. Thank-you for making Mommy feel all better." Alex said as Haylee pulled away and just sat in her lap. Haylee looked at her worriedly.

"No mowre crying?" Haylee asked her, reaching one of her glitter-painted fingers up and wiping away the tears that were left on her Momma's face. Alex smiled.

"No more crying, Haylee." Alex replied, then kissed Haylee's cheek. She then looked beside her at Mitchie, who was still sitting there with her. She smiled at her.

"Thank-you, Mitch." Alex said to her, her voice hoarse. Mitchie smiled back at her through tear-filled eyes. She had been so worried about her best friend.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mitchie asked her softly. Alex nodded, then glanced down at Haylee.

"I'm sure. This little princess helped me." Alex replied with a smile. She then stood up and balanced Haylee on her hip. Mitchie stood up too.

Nate and Shane walked over to Alex and they each kissed the top of her head. Shane then stepped away from Alex and stepped closer to the crowd that was still standing there, the crowd that caused Alex's whole breakdown. Shane glared at each and every one of them.

"Every last one of you own Alex a sincere apology; every last one of you. And, if she finds it somewhere in her heart to forgive you, consider yourself lucky." Shane said to them in a low, scary voice. Some people just rolled their eyes and walked away, feeling like they were too good to apologize. The rest of them just stood there, not making a move.

The principal stepped out from behind Mrs. Russo and in front of the crowd.

"I better not hear of anymore harassment towards Ms. Russo. You all know what happened now, and you should feel deeply ashamed for the words you said to her. Now, get to class!" the principal said to them. They didn't have to be told twice; they all scattered off to their first class.

Half an hour later, after reassuring the principal, her mom, the counselor, Mitchie, Shane, and Nate that she was okay and that the breakdown she'd just had was just a moment of weakness, and after saying goodbye to her little Haylee, they allowed Alex to head to class. Even after everything that just happened, she didn't want to go home. Sure, she'd love to spend the day with Haylee and her mom, but she felt like she had to show everyone that she was stronger than what they'd seen.

Alex, Mitchie, and Nate walked into Algebra class together; Shane had chemistry first block. When Alex stepped foot into the classroom, all eyes fell on her. Most of them had sympathy and guilt in them, but there were one or two that didn't. Alex just sighed and took her seat. She hated it when all the attention was on her.

Fortunately, Mrs. Robbins knew that Alex hated to be the center of attention, so all throughout class, she made sure she wasn't.

When the bell rang, signaling it was time for their second class, Alex stood up and began packing her bag. She stopped, though, when a girl she didn't know very well but knew her name was Leah came up to her.

Mitchie and Nate left and headed to their next class, so Alex could talk to the girl. Alex looked at the short, red-headed girl and smiled a small smile. Before she could say anything, though, Leah spoke up.

"My sister, Michelle, was six years older than me. Three years ago, she was raped. It hurt her so much when they couldn't find the guy that did it, she committed suicide. I'm glad you stayed stronger than she did. And, your daughter is beautiful." Leah said, then walked away, not giving Alex a chance to respond. It made Alex smile a little when she heard that girl call her strong, but it killed Alex that a girl in the same position she was in took their own life away. She wished she could have been there for that Michelle girl, to tell her that everything would be okay.

Alex stood there for a moment, before she swung her book bag and purse over her shoulder and left the classroom. She was stopped once again, though. But, this time it was a girl from the cheerleading squad, Alison Shortway, that stopped her.

"There is no way your child came from you being raped. You're just lying so that people don't think you're a slut." Was the first thing Alison said to her, and she said it in such a hateful tone, that Alex winced a little.

"You have every right to think whatever you want to think, but you're wrong." was all Alex said before she forcefully pushed past Allison and made her way to her second class.

_Later on that night, shortly before dinner…._

"What are you getting all dressed up for?" Alex asked Nate from the doorway of his room. Nate, who had been standing in front of the mirror in his room trying to tie his tie, turned around and smiled at Alex. Shane, who was sitting on Nate's bed, also smiled at Alex.

"Romeo here has a date tonight, and he's taking her to some fancy restaurant." Shane said, smirking when Nate's cheeks flushed a light pink. Alex giggled and walked over and sat down next to Shane.

"Ooh, lucky girl. Who is it?" Alex asked him with a smile. She was feeling much better by now. It seemed like she needed that breakdown in order to help herself move on. She honestly felt better.

"Her name's Alison Shortway. She's a cheerleader." Nate replied as he finally got his tie tied. Alex froze, remembering the words Alison had said to her earlier. The smile disappeared from Alex's face, an she stood up from the bed.

"Oh. Well, have fun." Alex said, her voice no longer holding happiness. Nate turned around and looked at her worriedly. He frowned when he saw the smile no longer across her face. For some reason, it bothered him deeply whenever Alex wasn't smiling. He figured it was just a best friend thing.

"Allie? What's wrong?" he asked her. Alex realized that she had upset Nate, and she quickly forced a smile onto her face.

"Nothing at all. Everything's okay. Have fun at dinner." she said to him, then hurried out of his room before he could ask her anything else. If Nate was taking this girl out on a date, then Alex felt as if she couldn't tell him what she'd said to her earlier. She couldn't ruin his date.

Nate looked at Shane after Alex left, worry etched into every part of his face.

"What just happened with her? She was happy when she came in here, then she all of a sudden became sad." Nate asked his brother worriedly as he sat down next to him. Shane studied Nate closely, and furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed that every part of Nate looked worried. More than just a best friend kind of worried.

"I don't know, but she said that she's okay." Shane replied, then watched as Nate sighed and turned to look at him.

"She says that all the time, Shane. And, she's never really just fine." Nate said to his brother, concern filling his eyes and face.

"We just have to trust her then, Nate. She'll come to us or Mitchie if something's bothering her enough to talk about it. Why are you so worried?" Shane asked.

"Did you not see her breakdown this morning? That was the worst thing I've ever had to witness in my entire life. She just looked so fragile and broken, and I was so scared." Nate replied, emotion creeping into his voice. Shane was quiet for a minute before he asked the question that was bothering him.

"Dude, do you like Alex? I mean, like her as more than a friend?" Shane asked his brother, watching as Nate's cheeks flushed red.

"Where did you get that idea from? Alex is just my beautiful, strong, talented best friend." Nate replied, smiling as he thought about Alex. Shane smirked a little.

"You haven't denied liking her yet." he pointed out. Nate stood up and walked back over to his mirror. He began fidgeting with his tie.

"Dude, I like Allie as just a friend. Nothing more than that." Nate said, not looking Shane in the eyes as he said so. Shane smirked, able to tell that his brother was lying, then stood up. He walked over to his little brother and pat him on the shoulder before he turned to leave.

"Whatever you say, Little Brother. Whatever you say." Shane said with a knowing smirk before leaving Nate's room. After Shane left, Nate just stood there in front of the mirror.

He thought about the question Shane asked him, and he immediately shook is head no. He didn't love Allie like that. He couldn't love Allie like that. She was his best friend, and she wasn't ready to be in a relationship with anybody yet.

Nate thought about Alex, his beautiful Allie. He thought about her beautiful brown eyes, the eyes that sparkled whenever she laughed or smiled. He thought about her long, dark, curly hair that always looked perfect to him, even when it was just pulled into a messy bun. And he thought about her laugh, the sound that was so beautiful to him, it made him laugh as well.

"I don't like Allie like that." Nate said to himself as he grabbed his phone, car keys, and wallet off his nightstand.

'Yes, you do.' continuously floated through Nate's mind as he headed down the stairs and out the front door.

**A/N: Anddd, that's it for this episode! I hope y'all liked it, especially the ending! (:**

**Remember to please try and help me reach my goal of 50 reviews on this story before it ends! It would mean a lot to me, and I know my readers can do it. (:**

**What did y'all think about Nate realizing his feelings for Alex? What about him going out on a date with Alison, the girl who said such a hurtful thing to Alex? **

**Tell me! PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing what you guys think. (:**

**Also, the preview from the last one, **_"We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked." _**will be on the next episode. (:**

**I love y'all! God bless! (:**

**- Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…..**

"_I would like everyone to meet my new girlfriend, Alison."_

…_._

"_Get away from me, you little brat!"_

…

"_I can't tell Nate about how his girlfriend was mean to me and Haylee. He really likes her, and he deserves to be happy."_

…_._

"_What's wrong, Haybear?" ; "Mean lady hurwt me."_

"**Go on and try to tear me down. I will be rising from the ground, Like a Skyscraper." - Demi Lovato.**

"**Who says you're not beautiful?" - Selena Gomez.**


	11. The Storm

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 10: The Storm**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: You guys, some of my most favorite people in the whole wide world, got me to 53 REVIEWS soooo fast! Y'all are nothing short of incredible and amazing. And, I love you. (; T H A N K Y O U !**

**I feel bad that y'all were so amazing, and I haven't updated this for y'all since like July. And, I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry about that. I've just been so busy lately with school starting back and everything, that I just haven't had any spare time. I'm taking classes this year that are much harder and require much more studying and work than the classes I took last year. BUT, I'm back. (: And I'm really going to try hard to update much more often; meaning I'll try my absolute best not to make y'all have any more 2 month waits between chapters. Thank-you so, SO much for your patience. I love y'all. (:**

**It meant so much to me that nobody disagreed with what I said about the cyber bullying on the last episode, and that some of y'all even said that you'd always remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:**

**ALSO, if you haven't heard Demi's new album 'UNBROKEN' yet, Go. Listen. To. It. It's amazing, incredible, wonderful, and just so much more. Demi's voice is pure magic. I'm one very proud Lovatic. (:**

**Now, after all that, I hope y'all enjoy this episode! I love you all bunches, and I'm so blessed to have you in my life.**

**Chasingtheimpossible: **Hahaha, I'm pretty sure lots of people wanted to slap Alison. But, she has to be there; I mean, what's a story without a little drama? (: I'm glad you liked the last episode, and I hope you like this one tooo! (:

**Written-in-hearts: **I know, the cyber bullying really affected me, and I don't even know the poor people that were getting bullied. It was terrible. But, thank-you for keeping them in your prayers. (: I'm glad you liked the last episode! And you're right; Alison is a really mean girl. You'll see some more of that in this episode. It makes me happy to know that you'll always spread love. (: I hope you like this episode!

**Brittana Forever: **Well, thank-you very much. (: I'm trying to update a lot more often than I have been, though it's getting to be very difficult with school to have to deal with as well; I'm glad that makes you happy. (: I hope you like this episode as much as the last one! Your review made me smile. (:

**TwistedRose97: **Really good guess, but the other person Kevin raped isn't Leah's sister. You'll see who it was in the next episode, and it'll be a part of the sequel. (: I'm glad you liked the last episode, and I hope you like this one as well. (: Thank-you for your review!

**alwaysjustme15: **Long Way To Happy by P!nk is a really good song, and I listened to it after I read your review. But, just curious, why did you review it to me? I hope you like this episode! (:

**unperfectt: **Your reviews always make me so happy. (: Hahaha. I couldn't let everything be easy for Nate and Alex to get together; what fun would that be? (; I can't wait for more of your angsty reviews about Nate and Alex, haha. I'm glad you liked the 'Yes You Do' from Nate. That part was fun to write; I adore writing Nalex scenes. I'm gad you're excited with the way things are going for Nate and Alex. And, I'm trying to make each chapter longer now; I've gotten to where my chapters don't feel complete if they're not at least ten pages long when I type them. Thank-you for noticing. (: I hope you like this episode!

**Ally-Woods-rox: **Hahaha, I love that you're wishing bad things on Alison. I promise, everyone is going to hate her by the end of this story. (: And you're right, Alex is getting a lot of drama and hurt right now, but you can't get a rainbow without a storm first, right? (: I'm glad you loved the last episode, and I hope you love this one too! (:

**Maya07: **This is going to sound so weird, but hearing that my writing makes someone cry is one of the best compliments I feel like I can receive. It means it was written well enough for my readers to feel my characters' emotions. So, thank-you! (: I really hope you like this episode!

**seldemxoxo: **Wow, thank-you so much. (: That means a lot to me, truly. (: I'm so happy you like it so much. I really hope you like this episode!

**Mia: **Well, thank-you very much. (: It makes me smile to know that you like it so much. (: I hope you enjoy this episode!

**NelenaVillage: **Sorry I made you wait, BUT I'm happy it was worth it! (: I love writing the parts with Haylee and Alex; they're my most favorite. Haha. And, even though she IS a bitch, you can't kill Alison just yet. But, as soon as I'm through with her for this story, feel free. Haha. (: Andd, I hope you like this episode!

**ariana kaylani: **When I read your review, I was laying in my bed with my laptop, just checking my email before I went to sleep. I read your review, then reread it over and over again as I just hugged my teddy bear and cried. It really touched my heart. I'm so deeply sorry about your beautiful sister. I have a sister too, and it kills me to just imagine life without her. It literally brings me to tears. It means the world to me that my story is helping you understand and get through everything. I hope things get better for you at home, and I'm sure they will after time passes. So, you're more than welcome for helping you. Thank YOU for sending me such a touching review that I will forever remember. You're in my heart, and I'm praying for you. Stay strong, sweetie. (:

**(**this person didn't have a username**): **I'm so glad you really like my story. (: And I'm sorry you don't like that Nate is going out with Alison. Things will get better, though. Pinky promise. (: I never made that connection between Haylee and Caylee Anthony before. But, Caylee is a beautiful little angel in Heaven now, helping God make the stars twinkle just a bit brighter every night. It's okay to think of Caylee when I write Haylee. But, if you don't want to do that, then just picture her as Selena Gomez when she was little. That's what I had in mind when I started this story. (: And, I'll definitely keep writing, so be ready to keep reading! Thank-you for your review! (:

**RamenNoodlez: **Thank-you very much for helping me with my goal! And, I'm so happy you love my story. (: Everytime I hear someone say that they love my story, I get this big, bright, face-eating smile that completely overtakes my entire face. So, thank-you. And, I hope you like this episode! Also, I wasn't sure what you mean by 'Spread the ramen love', but I love you. (:

**Y'all are I N C R E D I B L E , and I love you. God Bless. (:**

**You have EVERY right to a BEAUTIFUL life . Stay Strong . (:**

**And, enjoy this episode! (:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea for this story and little Haylee. (:**

**PS: Be expecting some drama ahead.. And for things to not go quite how you had them in mind.. (;**

**STARTING STORY:**

Two weeks passed by quickly. Nate and Shane both moved back to their own house, though Shane is over at the Russo's every single day. Nate continued seeing Alison after their first date, and they've hung out every day for the past two weeks. He's over at the Russo's sometimes, though not every day and not nearly as much as Shane is.

As for Alex and Mitchie, they are both doing a lot better.

After Alex's breakdown in the middle of school, she's felt like a ton of bricks were lifted off her shoulders. The nightmares are still there, of course, but they don't occur every night like they used to. Just being able to have Haylee with her every day helps her with everything. Things at school have gotten better for her. She's not the center of attention or the latest big gossip story anymore. Many people still stare at her with sympathy in their eyes, and every so often, someone stops her to tell her about how they wouldn't have been able to make it if they'd gone through the same thing she'd gone through. But she's okay with it because they're not saying hurtful things to her anymore.

Things with Alison have gotten considerably worse for Alex. Alison stops her every chance she can in the hallway to tell her what a slut she thinks she is. Alex just responds with an eye roll and walks away. Alison's words do cause her pain, yes, but she's trying her hardest to ignore them as much as she can. She hasn't told anybody about Alison's constant harsh words, especially not Nate.

Shane is helping Mitchie get through everything, and she's doing better as well. Her nightmares are still there too, but they've gotten to where they sometimes don't come back for a few nights at a time. Every night she goes to bed, she whispers a short prayer, asking God to make that night a night without nightmares.

It's the weekend finally, Saturday. After getting dressed in blue jean shorts and a simple white t-shirt with a lime green tank top underneath and applying make-up, deciding to keep her hair down in its natural curls, Alex slid on a pair of flip-flops and headed downstairs. It was a little past ten, and she felt so refreshed after being able to sleep in later than she'd been able to all week long.

When she got downstairs, she saw Haylee eating a bowl of cereal at the table with Mitchie. Her mom was over in the kitchen area mixing something together in a big yellow bowl. Alex grinned as her eyes met her daughter's and she saw Haylee's eyes light up.

"Momma!" she squealed as she jumped down from her chair and ran over to Alex. Alex hugged Haylee, then lifted her up into her arms, balancing her on her hip. Mitchie smiled at the sight.

"She's been up since seven waiting to see you." Mitchie said to Alex with a smile. Alex smiled back and kissed Haylee's cheek.

"You should have came and crawled in bed next to Momma, Haybear." Alex said to her little girl as she carried her back over to her chair and sat her down so she could finish her cereal.

"Gwandma said no becwause you needed more swleep." Haylee said, then picked up her spoon and took a big bite of fruit loops. Alex giggled as she had to pick up Haylee's napkin and wipe drops of milk off of her chin.

"Well, I'm glad you were a good girl and listened to her then. Tomorrow morning you can come snuggle with me, though." Alex promised the little girl with a smile, then walked over to the coffee pot on the counter next to her mom. She got a cup, then filled it up with the steaming hot liquid. After taking a sip, she looked at what her mom was doing and furrowed her eyebrows.

"What are you making?" Alex asked her mom, then took another sip of her coffee. Mrs. Russo smiled over her shoulder at Alex.

"I am making homemade chicken pot pie." Mrs. Russo replied and continued to stir the contents of the bowl.

"Sounds good. What's the occasion?" Alex asked her as she walked over to a bowl on the counter across from her and picked up an apple that was laying inside of it.

"Shane and Nate are coming over for lunch, and Nate's bringing his new girlfriend." Mrs. Russo replied as she finally began to pour the contents of the bowl into a casserole dish. Alex's eyes widened at what her mother just said, and she almost dropped the apple in her hand. She whirled around to face her mother.

"His.. His new girlfriend?" Alex asked. Nate hadn't told her anything about having a girlfriend. Sure, he hadn't been over to visit her since Tuesday and she hadn't been to his house to see him because she was so busy with her homework and Haylee, but she thought for sure Nate would have called her and told her something like this.

"Yes, his new girlfriend. Alison something." Mrs. Russo replied, oblivious to the fact that Alex was far from happy about her reply. Alex felt her stomach drop at the sound of Alison's name. Of course she was his new girlfriend. It made sense as Alex stood there with wide eyes and thought about it. Nate made time each day for the past two weeks to hang out with Alison, which even meant leaving several days without coming to visit her or Mitchie. And they spent several hours on the phone together, either text messaging back and forth or simply talking, which was why Alex hadn't had a conversation with him over the phone or a text message conversation that lasted longer than four messages all week

"Oh." was all Alex said as she gently set the apple back in the bowl on the counter, then started walking toward the stairs, her coffee cup in hand. She stopped and turned to Haylee.

"I'll be in my room if you need me, Haybear." Alex said to Haylee, ignoring the weird look Mitchie was giving her then heading up the stairs to her room.

Once in her room, Alex set her cup of coffee down on her desk and sat on her bed. She took a deep breath in, and then let it out, trying to make herself feel better as much as she was trying to calm all the different thoughts that were whirling around in her head.

And for reasons Alex couldn't calm her thoughts down long enough to figure out, tears began trickling down her cheeks.

Alex had been sitting there for a minute, just letting the tears fall freely down her face without even bothering to wipe them away, when Mitchie walked in. She took one look at Alex, then quickly walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Hey, what's the matter? What's wrong?" Mitchie asked her best friend, worried in the back of her mind that Alex was having another breakdown. Alex just shook her head and pulled away from Mitchie. For the first time in her entire life, Alex didn't want to tell Mitchie what was wrong.

Mitchie shot Alex a confused look and gently placed a hand on her arm.

"Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm your best friend, Lexie." Mitchie said reassuringly. Alex sighed deeply and wiped at her tears, feeling very dumb and childish at that moment for crying over such a little thing, especially since there wasn't anything she could do to change the situation. Nate was going to date Alison regardless of what Alex thought about it..

"N-Nate has a girlfriend." Alex said in a small voice. Mitchie shot her another confused look and furrowed her eyebrows in response.

"Why does Nate having a girlfriend bother you, Lex?" Mitchie asked her gently, though confusion was present in every word she spoke. Alex just looked at Mitchie and sighed.

"It's not the fact that he has a girlfriend, Mitchie. It's who his girlfriend is." Alex said in a tired voice. And, she was tired; tired of having Alison in her life, tired of her life being so complicated all the time.

"What's wrong with Alison?" Mitchie asked her best friend. Mitchie herself didn't have anything against Alison, though she didn't know her very well yet. Alex looked into Mitchie's eyes as more tears filled her own.

"If I tell you something, will you promise, no, swear, not to tell Nate?" Alex asked Mitchie. Mitchie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion again. Since Alex and Nate had become friends again, Mitchie knew that Alex didn't keep secrets from him. Nothing Alex was saying was making sense to her.

"Lex, you know I won't tell Nate something you don't want me to. Now, tell me what's the matter." Mitchie said to her. Alex sighed and looked down at her hands for a minute. A minute later, she looked back up at Mitchie.

"Alison's, well…. She's…." Alex started, finding it hard to come up with he right word to describe the witch she now had to call Nate's girlfriend.

"She's what, Lex?" Mitchie asked, urging her to continue. Alex sighed again as she finally came up with the perfect word.

"Alison's a bitch, Mitchie." Alex said very bluntly. Mitchie raised her eyebrows in surprise at Alex's statement.

"Wow, why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Mitchie said in a sarcastic, but amused, voice. Alex sighed for what she felt was about that millionth time that morning.

"I'm serious, Mitch. She's not good for Nate." Alex said, a sort of desperation in her voice. The amusement in Mitchie's face vanished, and she once again looked at Alex worriedly. She could tell Alex was on the verge of crying again.

"Alex, why don't you like Alison?" Mitchie asked her gently. Alex was quiet for a minute.

Alex didn't want to have to explain everything to Mitchie. She felt like she did in first grade, when she had to tell her parents because Tyler Collins waited everyday for a week until their class was lining up for recess to trip her and steal her zip-lock bag of animal crackers. At first, she thought she could handle Tyler on her own, and she felt very weak in the end when she broke down and told her parents. Right now, Alex was feeling weak because Alison's words were really starting to hurt her.

"She's just said some things to me that weren't exactly nice." Alex replied quietly, though Mitchie could tell by the sound of her voice that there was much more to the story that she wasn't telling her. Mitchie looked at Alex with an -if-you-don't-tell-me-the-whole-truth-I-can't-help-you-feel-better look. Alex sighed again.

"Fine. Alison stops me every chance she possibly can at school to tell me what a slut she thinks I am. She's been doing it every day since I came back to school." Alex replied in a small voice, forcing her tears not to fall again.

"I'm gonna kill her." Mitchie said, and Alex could see the fire and rage fill Mitchie's chocolate-brown eyes. Alex just shook her head and hugged Mitchie. They pulled back a minute later, and were quiet for a minute, the thoughts in their heads going a mile a minute.

"If it doesn't bother you or anything, I think I'm just going to stay up here while Alison's over later. I'll just tell mom I have a headache or something." Alex said a minute later, having already decided in her mind that she couldn't make herself face Alison. Mitchie nodded.

"After what you've told me, she'll be lucky to make it out of this house alive." Mitchie said, anger still evident in her voice. Alex giggled a little, happy to have a best friend that would always be on her side.

"You're the best, Mitchie." Alex said with a small smile on her face. Mitchie looked at Alex and smiled, despite the anger circling around in her body.

Alex and Mitchie both went back downstairs a few minutes later, and Alex felt a lot better after talking to Mitchie about everything. She went straight over to her Haylee, who was now watching 'Dora The Explorer' on the couch in the living room, and scooped her up into her arms, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"What does my little princess want to do for a little while before Nate and Uncle Shane get here?" Alex asked her little girl with a smile as she carried her into the kitchen. Haylee giggled.

"Will you read me a storwy?" Haylee asked Alex as Alex opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water for herself. Alex looked at Haylee and smiled.

"I sure will, baby girl. Why don't you go get the story you want me to read, and we'll read it on the couch?" Alex suggested to Haylee as she set her down on the ground. Haylee grinned, then ran off to find one of her books. Alex smiled after her, then walked back into the living room. She turned the TV off and put a few of Haylee's toys in her toybox before she sat down on the couch and took a drink of her water.

Haylee ran into the room a minute later, 'Cinderella', her very favorite book, in her tiny hands and a grin identical to Alex's on her face. Haylee jumped up into Alex's lap, and Alex took the book from her and smiled.

"Now, how did I know you were going to pick this book?" Alex asked Haylee playfully, making Haylee giggle, then opened the book to the first page and began reading.

….

"And they all lived happily ever after. The end." Alex finished reading 'Cinderella' to Haylee with a smile and glanced down at her watch. It was just reaching noon. Haylee was quiet for a minute before she spoke up.

"Momma?" Haylee asked softly as she laid her head back onto Alex's chest. Alex smiled and stroked a stray curl out of Haylee's face.

"What is it, Haybear?" Alex asked.

"Who is your pwrince charwming?" Haylee asked, a curious look on her face. Alex smiled at her question, though she hesitated answering for a minute, trying to think of the right response.

"Well, sweetie, I don't really know yet. True love like Cinderella and Prince Charming had takes time to grow strong and real. But, when I do figure out who my Prince Charming is, you'll be the first one I tell." Alex replied, tickling Haylee a little at the end. Haylee giggled, and Alex could tell she was about to ask another question, but she was stopped when the doorbell rang. Haylee's brown eyes lit up.

"Uncwle Shane and Nate!" the three-year-old squealed, then jumped off of Alex lap and ran to the front door. Alex felt knots form in her stomach, but she stood up anyway and followed Haylee to the door. Haylee was already opening it when Alex got there.

"Uncwle Shane!" Haylee squealed again once the door was opened. Shane chuckled and pulled Haylee up into his arms. He stepped inside followed by Nate and, much to Alex's disliking, Alison. Shane pulled Alex in for a hug, and she smiled at him once they pulled away.

"This little one has been so excited to see her Uncle Shane today." Alex said with a grin and gently tugged on Haylee's leg. Haylee giggled and threw her arms around Shane's neck, hugging him.

"Where's my hug, Allie?" Nate asked in a teasing voice. Alex smiled and looked at him.

"I'm not sure, stranger. It's been so many days since you last came to see me, I'm not sure I know who you are anymore." Alex teased him with a grin, then hugged him back tightly. He chuckled as he hugged her. When they pulled apart, Nate gestured to Alison, who was holding his hand tightly, as if her life depended on it. Alex fought away the urge to roll her eyes at her.

"I think you and Alison probably already know each other." Nate said with a smile. Alison eyed Alex up and down with a quick look of disgust, then put the fakest smile Alex had ever seen on her face. Alex just simply forced the smallest smile she could, though hatred could clearly be seen in her eyes.

"Yeah, I know her." Alex said, her voice about as cold as an icicle. Nate raised an eyebrow at her, as if asking her what her problem was.

"I want Nate!" Haylee said, saving Alex from having to explain herself. Shane chuckled and passed Haylee over to Nate. Nate smiled as Haylee threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"I mwissed you!" Haylee said as she loosened her grip around Nate's neck and looked at him. He smiled at her again, even bigger this time.

"I missed you too, Haylee. I'll try to come by more often to see you and your mommy." Nate said, making both Haylee and Alex smile, Alex's coldness completely disappearing. Haylee looked from Alex to Nate, and then her eyes landed on Alison. She stared at her curiously for a moment before she spoke.

"She not as pwetty as Momma." was all Haylee had to say about the bleach-blonde cheerleader hand-in-hand with Nate. Alex stifled a laugh as she took Haylee into her own arms and smiled at Nate and Shane, completely ignoring the obviously not very pleased Alison..

"We're just gonna go get Mitchie and tell her that y'all are here. Make yourself at home in the living room." Alex said quickly before she walked off to the stairs. Once she was safely out their hearing range, she let out a giggle and kissed Haylee's cheek.

"Thank-you, Haybear." Alex said as she slowly walked up the stairs. Haylee, who couldn't seem to figure out what was so funny about what she'd said, just look at her mommy with confusion written clearly across her face.

"But it was the twuth, Momma." Haylee said. Alex giggled again and hurried the rest of the way to Mitchie's room. When she walked inside, she saw Mitchie sitting at her vanity applying a light pink colored lip-gloss.

"Shane and Nate are here with the wicked witch of the west." Alex said as she sat down on Mitchie's bed. Mitchie giggled as she put the top back on her tube of lip-gloss. Haylee jumped down from Alex's lap and walked over to Mitchie.

"I want lip stwick." Haylee said as she looked at Mitchie. Mitchie smiled at Haylee, then looked over at the tubes of lip-gloss lined up on her vanity. She finally found a pink glittery one and put some on her finger, then put it on Haylee's lips.

"There! Now you're as pretty as a princess. And, it even matches your nails." Mitchie said with a grin. She giggled when Haylee's smile got ten times bigger and she ran over to Mitchie's desk and picked up her princess crown she'd left in there the night before, then lifted it onto her head.

"You look so pretty, Haybear!" Alex said with a smile. Haylee giggled. Mitchie stood up from her vanity and picked Haylee up into her arms. She looked at Alex.

"I'll take her back down there with me. Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad that you have a headache?" Mitchie asked Alex as she balanced Haylee on her hip. Alex sighed a little, wishing she could enjoy the afternoon with Nate, Shane, and the rest of her family.

"Yeah. Thanks for watching her, Mitchie. And if one of y'all needs me, I'll just be in my room." Alex replied. Mitchie nodded and carried Haylee out of the room and downstairs.

When they got down there, Mr. and Mrs. Russo, along with Max, were already in the living room with Shane, Nate, and Alison. Mitchie set Haylee down, and Haylee ran over to sit in Mrs. Russo's lap. Mitchie's smile got brightened significantly when Shane spotted her and walked up to her, pulling her in for a kiss. He smiled at her when they pulled apart.

"So, how are you today?" he asked her, and she knew he was referring to how she was in relation to the Kevin-nightmare. Mitchie's smile faltered a little as she remembered her nightmare from the night before and waking up in tears and sweat, but she quickly covered it up. Putting on her best smile.

"I'm doing better. I'm not completely better yet, but I'm getting there." Mitchie replied truthfully, then took Shane's hand and led him over to the couch, sitting down beside him.

"Mitchie, where's Alex?" Mr. Russo asked as Mitchie snuggled closer to Shane. Mitchie looked at him and put on a sympathetic smile.

"Oh, she got a bad headache all of a sudden, so she decided to lay down. She said she'd try to come down later if she starts feeling better." Mitchie replied. Mr. Russo nodded.

"Have you met Alison yet, Mitchie?" Mrs. Russo asked from her seat beside Nate. Mitchie glanced at Alison with a cold, disinterested look, then she looked back at Mrs. Russo, her face going back to normal but hatred dominating her eyes..

"I think she's in my English class." was Mitchie's reply in a cold voice, much like Alex's had been before. Shane and Nate looked at her weirdly, but she ignored it. Mitchie had it decided that the only way she was going to be able to keep from killing the nasty cheerleader was to pretend that she wasn't even in the room. So far, she was doing really good.

"Well, I'll go check the chicken pot-pie in the oven. The sooner it's done, then sooner we can eat." Mrs. Russo said with a smile as she stood up. Mr. Russo stood up behind her.

"I'm going to go with her, in case she needs someone to taste it to see if it's done." Mr. Russo said with a playful grin as he followed Mrs. Russo into the kitchen. Haylee sat down in the seat Mrs. Russo had been sitting in before.

"Is anybody thirsty? I think I'm gonna go get a Sprite or something." Mitchie asked as she stood up. Shane stood up with her, not wanting to let go of her hand. She smiled a quick smile at him.

"Sprite sounds good." Nate said with a smile.

"Okay. Do you want anything, Haylee-Bug?" Mitchie asked Haylee, who grinned at her.

"Jwuice!" Haylee replied excitedly. Mitchie smiled at her niece, then nodded and walked off with Shane before Alison had the chance to reply. Nate looked after her weirdly, wondering why she was treating his girlfriend so rudely. It wasn't like her. He stood up, the confused look still on his face.

"I, um, need to go talk to Mitchie for a second. I'll be right back." he said to Alison, then walked off to find Mitchie. After he left, Alison leaned back on the couch and sighed, glancing down at her perfectly-manicured nails boredly. Haylee was quiet for a minute before she stood up and walked over to Alison, her usual sweet smile she got from Alex on her face.

:"I'm a pwincess." Haylee said with a sweet smile to Alison. Alison glanced up from her nails and shot a disgusted look in Haylee's direction.

"Get away from me, you little brat!" Alison said to her, faltering the little girl's smile just a little. Haylee had never had an experience before where someone didn't like her, so she was confused by Alison's harsh tone.

"But see my cwrown? It's mwagic!" Haylee said, trying again. This time, Alison reached a hand out and roughly pushed Haylee away from her, making the little girl fall to the ground. The crown that had been on Haylee's head fell when she did and broke when it hit the floor.

"I said to stay away from me, you stupid brat." Alison said, as if what she'd just done was okay. Tears quickly filled Haylee's eyes, then rushed out, spilling down her cheeks in a rush. She slowly got up from the floor, picked up the two pieces to her crown, and ran as fast as her little legs would take her out of the room and up the stairs to her mommy.

_With Nate, Shane, and Mitchie…_

"Okay, what's up with you and Alex?" Nate asked, slightly frustrated, as he looked at Mitchie, who was getting a can of Sprite out of the refrigerator. Mitchie and Shane both gave him a weird look in response to his question..

"What do you mean, what's up with me and Alex?" Mitchie asked him, feigning innocence, as she grabbed another can of Sprite and a juice box. He sighed.

"Why are y'all treating Alison so coldly?" Nate asked her. She raised an eyebrow at him as she shut the refrigerator and handed him his can of Sprite.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nate." she replied innocently as she walked past him and back into the living room. She looked around when she got in there and noticed that Haylee wasn't anywhere to be found. Even though it went against her plan to completely ignore Alison, Mitchie turned to her anyways..

"Where is Haylee?" Mitchie asked her, her voice changing from normal like it was when she was talking to Nate and Shane to ice cold. Alison looked at her.

"I don't know. The kid ran off crying or something." Alison replied, and from the way she sounded, Mitchie figured that Alison couldn't care less if Haylee had walked out the front door and into the middle of a busy highway. Mitchie shot a dirty look at Alison then sighed and glanced down at the purple juice box in her hand.

"I'm gonna go take this to her and make sure she's okay. I'll be back in a few minutes." Mitchie said, mainly to Nate and Shane, then turned and headed for the staircase.

_With Alex and Haylee…._

Alex was walking from the bathroom back to her bedroom when she heard her little girl's sniffles coming up the stairs. Furrowing her eyebrows, Alex walked to the top of the stairs. Sure enough, her Haybear was walking up, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Haybear?" Alex asked worriedly as she took the stairs two at a time down and scooped Haylee up into her arms, hugging her tightly to her chest as she carried her back up and into her room. Alex sat down on her bed and hugged Haylee until her tears slowed down.

"What's wrong, Haybear?" Alex asked her gently as she brushed some curls out of her face. Alex saw the two pieces of the crown in her hands and gently took them into her own hands. She looked down at them worriedly, then back to her daughter. She wanted to know what happened, and she wanted to know right then.

"Mean lady hurwt me." Haylee replied through tears, then pointed to a scratch on her arm she'd gotten when Alison pushed her down. Alex gently rubbed the small scratch gently with her thumb as she looked at her little girl with worry and concern.

"Sweetie, tell Mommy what happened. What mean lady?" Alex asked her, though she suspected her daughter was talking about Alison.

"I showing her that I'm a pwincess and I showed her my pwincess cwrown, and she pushed me down and my cwrown bwroke." Haylee replied as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Alex hugged her to her chest again and stroked her long curls, trying to calm her down, as rage and anger filled her own body. It was one thing for that bitch to be mean to her, but something completely different for her to lay a hand on Haylee and make her cry.

"Shhh. It's okay, baby. Momma will get you a new crown that's even more magical. Everything's okay." Alex said soothingly as she reached down and kissed the top of Haylee's head. After a few minutes, Haylee's tears were long gone, though the little girl was still sad. Alex sat her up and wiped away her tears with her thumbs.

"Let's go put some shoes on those feet of yours, and then I'll take you to get a brand new crown. How does that sound?" Alex asked, smiling when she saw a small smile make its way across Haylee's face. Haylee nodded, and Alex stood up and balanced her on her hip.

Alex was carrying Haylee through the hallway to her bedroom, when she saw Mitchie at the top of the stairs. Alex stopped and her own anger-filled eyes met Mitchie's worried ones. Mitchie walked up to her. She placed one hand gently on Haylee's back and handed the juice box that was in her other hand to the little girl. She then looked at Alex.

"What happened?" Mitchie asked her, confusion and worry circling around in her eyes. Alex looked down at her little girl in her arms and set her down on the ground.

"Sweetie, go get your white sandals on, then we'll go to the store." Alex said to her, sending her off because she knew that retelling the story of Alison hurting her would just upset her again.

"Otay, Momma." Haylee said with a small smile as she ran off to her room. Alex waited until she was sure Haylee was out of earshot before she turned to Mitchie.

"That stupid.. Bitch. She pushed Haylee down, making her cry. You know, it's one thing to mess with me, but messing with a three year old is taking it way over the line. And she will not leave this house today before I get a chance to have words with her." Alex replied to Mitchie, pure fire blazing in her eyes. Mitchie's own expression hardened.

"She pushed her down? Is Haylee okay?" Mitchie asked, looking ready to absolutely kill Alison. Alex nodded.

"She just had a small scratch on her arm and it caused her to break her crown, which is why I'm taking her to the store now. But Mitchie, what am I going to do about Alison?" Alex asked, sounding desperate at the end. She had run through the problem in her mind about a million times already, and she couldn't come up with a solution.

Mitchie's expression softened a bit at Alex's desperation.

"You're going to have to tell Nate, Lex." Mitchie said a minute later, sighing as she did so because she knew that was the last thing Alex wanted to hear. Alex sighed as well, ad she ran a hand back through her messy curls.

"I can't tell Nate about how his girlfriend was mean to me and Haylee. He really likes her, and he deserves to be happy." Alex said, tears slowly starting to form in her eyes. She had to do what would make Nate happy, and if being with Alison made him happy, then she'd just put up with it until their relationship was over with. Mitchie looked at her sympathetically.

"Lexie, what about your happiness? And Haylee's happiness? Doesn't that matter too?" asked, and before Alex could reply, she was stopped by Haylee's small voice coming up to them. Haylee looked at Alex.

"I weady, Mommy." Haylee said to Alex, then held her arms up, signaling for Alex to pick her up. Alex forced her tears to stay away and managed a smile as she picked Haylee up into her arms and kissed her cheek. Mitchie's words continuously ran through her mind, and they just confused her even more.

"Alright, sweet girl. We'll go get my keys and go." Alex replied to Haylee, then looked back at Mitchie.

"We can finish talking later, if you want." Alex said half-heartedly, knowing after only those few seconds of thinking about Mitchie's question that the only solution to her problem was to tell Nate, and that doing that was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do.

Mitchie nodded and watched Alex carry Haylee back to her bedroom, a distressed frown on her face, then sighed and made her way back downstairs, wondering all the way down how she was going to manage all throughout dinner without killing Alison.

After walking back into her own room and grabbing her phone, purse, and keys, Alex carried Haylee downstairs. She stopped in the living room to tell her parents where she was going. Seeing a smirk on Alison's face once she saw Haylee's tear-stained one made Alex's rage grow even stronger, but she didn't want to make a scene. She'd have her words with Alison later, when no one else was around.

"Is your headache better, honey?" Mrs. Russo asked Alex with a smile. Alex nodded.

"Yeah. I'm gonna take Haylee over to the store to buy a new princess crown. She fell and broke her other one. I'll be back in a little while." Alex said to them, sending a death glare to Alison before she turned around and left.

Alex got both herself and Haylee buckled into her car, then dropped her phone into her purse before she backed out of the driveway and began driving to the closest store, Wal-Mart.

"Why she not wike me, Momma?" Haylee asked quietly from the back-seat a few minutes later. Alex glanced at her daughter's sad face in the rear-view mirror and sighed quietly. Alison being so nasty to her for no reason at all bothered Haylee more than Alex wished it would.

"Sweetheart, sometimes people are just mean. There isn't anything we can do about it, and they usually don't have a good reason for it. They're just mean. The best thing you can do is to ignore them and surround yourself with people who aren't mean to you, people who love you." Alex replied, then glanced in the mirror again and saw that Haylee had a thoughtful look on her face.

"How cwome their Mommas didn't tell them to be nwice?" Haylee asked in such an innocent voice, it made Alex smile a little bit and her heart swell with love. It made Alex get that feeling that just maybe she was doing something right as a mother.

"I don't know, baby. Maybe their Mommas did tell them, and they just didn't listen." Alex replied. The car was quiet for a minute, then Alex spoke up again.

"Haylee, just because someone is mean to you, it doesn't mean you should be mean to them too. You should always be your sweet self, even to the people who are mean to you, and maybe you'll be the one to make them realize that being mean isn't what they should be doing." Alex said to Haylee, who just simply said 'okay' in response. Alex didn't know if Haylee understood everything she'd just said or not, but she felt it was important for her to at least hear it.

Alex drove the rest of the way to the store, neither her nor Haylee saying a word, and only the sound of 'Mean' by Taylor Swift playing on the radio in the background.

Twenty minutes later, Alex was carrying Haylee, who not only had a glittery princess crown with pink jewels sprinkled across it on her head but also had a package of M&M's open and already eating some in her hand, through the front door of their house.

Alex stopped when she saw everyone sitting at the dining room table eating. Everyone but Alison smiled at them.

"Haylee, come here and let me see your new princess crown!" Mitchie said, forcing an excited smile on her face for the little girl. Alex passed Haylee over and sat her in Mitchie's lap. Haylee pointed to her crown and Mitchie grinned.

"It's even more glittery than the last one!" Mitchie said with a smile.

"It's more mwagical too!" Haylee agreed, the same excited grin covering her face that appeared when Alex had paid for the crown and put it on her head at the store. Mitchie giggled and nodded. Alex smiled at her little princess and best friend, her two very favorite people in the world.

"Are you and Haylee going to join us for lunch, Alex?" Mrs. Russo asked Alex. Alex smiled, but shook her head no.

"I don't think so. I'm not really hungry yet and I don't think Haylee is either, so I'll probably just make Haylee a special heart-shaped grilled cheese in a little while when she gets hungry." Alex replied, smiling when she saw Haylee's smile brighten from over in Mitchie's lap at the mention of Alex's special heart-shaped grilled cheese. Mrs. Russo smiled at Alex.

"Alright, well you two girls be good." she said to her with a smile. Alex smiled back at her mom, then held her hand out for Haylee to take.

"Come on, princess. Let's go back upstairs for a while." Alex said to Haylee with a smile. Haylee reached up and gave Mitchie a kiss on the cheek before she jumped down from Mitchie's lap. But, before she walked over to Alex, she stopped at Alison and put three of her M&M's on her plate. Alex smiled proudly at her kind-hearted little girl.

"I fowrgive you." little Haylee said to Alison before she walked over to Alex. Alex scooped her up into her arms and carried her to the staircase and then upstairs, ignoring the weird looks she was getting from her family, Shane, and Nate and the death glare she was receiving from Alison.

"I'm proud of you, my little princess." Alex said with a smile to Haylee, then kissed her little nose. Haylee giggled and snuggled into Alex's chest as Alex continued to carry her upstairs and into Alex's room.

Once they were in there, Alex sat Haylee down on the bed and smiled at her.

"Now, what would Princess Haylee like to do for the afternoon?" Alex asked with a grin just as her phone beeped with a text message. Alex pulled it out of her purse and looked at the screen. It was a message from Nate.

'_What was Haylee forgiving Alison for?'_

Alex ignored the message, along with the sinking feeling she was getting in her stomach that everything was about to get bad. She shoved her phone into her back pocket and forced a smile for Haylee, who was sitting on the bed holding one of her dolls.

After a few minutes and a few more ignored text messages, there was a knock at Alex's door. Alex, who was now flipping through a magazine, though not really reading anything, on her bed glanced over at her door. Haylee just continued to play with her doll on the bed beside Alex.

"Um, come in!" Alex called, hoping and praying inside that it was just Mitchie, or Max even. But it wasn't. Nate walked inside Alex's room and shut the door behind him. He had a small smile on his face, though his eyes held nothing but seriousness. Haylee, after seeing it was Nate, ran over to him with a big smile on her face and hugged him.

Nate hugged the excited three-year-old back, though Alex could see that he really only wanted to talk to her. Alex sighed a tiny bit as she closed her magazine and stood up.

"Haybear, why don't you go downstairs with Aunt Mitchie and Uncle Shane?" Alex asked Haylee a minute later after she pulled away from Nate. Haylee looked at Alex, worry starting to form on her face.

"Mean lady down there, Momma." Haylee said, her smile completely gone. She ran over to Alex and hugged her leg. Ignoring Nate's confused expression, Alex got down to Haylee's level and kissed her forehead.

"Baby, Aunt Mitchie will be with you the whole time, and she won't let the mean lady hurt you again." Alex said reassuringly and soothingly at the same time. Haylee studied her mommy's face for a moment before she nodded and turned and walked out of Alex's room, shutting the door back closed behind her.

Once Haylee was gone, Nate's smile completely disappeared, and he looked at Alex slightly accusingly but more confused than anything else.

"Allie, what is going on? Why are you and Mitchie treating Alison like complete crap? And who the heck is the mean lady Haylee is scared of?" Nate asked her, frustration causing his voice to be louder than he intended for it to be. Alex sighed and sat down at the end of her bed, knowing that she had to tell Nate the truth.

"Nate, I didn't want to have to tell you this, because I wanted to be able to handle it on my own. I wanted to keep you happy. But she took it way too far hurting my daughter, and her painful words to me every single day are just that; painful." Alex rambled, then trailed off. She bit her lip in an attempt to keep her tears away. She slowly glanced up at Nate and saw that his expression was even more confused than before.

"What are you talking about, Alex? WHO are you talking about?" he asked her, though he had his suspicions. Alex sighed again and looked at him, their eyes making contact.

"Alison, Nate. She calls me a slut more than once every single day, and I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does; it hurts. And today, she pushed Haylee down and made her cry. Haylee is only three years old, Nate. Who in their right mind hurts a three-year…" Alex started but was cut off by Nate.

"Wait a minute, there is no way Alison did any of that; she wouldn't have done any of those things. She isn't capable of doing any of those things." Nate cut in. Alex stared at him for a second before she raised an eyebrow and stood up, planting on hand on her hip and forcing her tears to stay away.

"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Alex asked him, shock being her main emotion. He sighed at her and looked at her, a little accusingly.

"Well, I'm not agreeing that you're telling the truth." he replied. Alex looked at him like he'd gone absolutely insane. She was beginning to get angry.

"I don't believe this. I'm your best friend Nate; you've known me since we were little, and you've only been dating this trashy skank for like not even a week! You seriously don't believe me?" Alex asked him, anger beginning to boil in her body. She saw his face go red in anger, and he stepped a bit closer to her, raising a finger and pointing it at her.

"Don't you ever call Alison a name like that again. And to answer your question, no. I don't believe you. I believe your precious daughter is lying to you too." Nate replied angrily through clenched teeth. Alex's anger grew even greater as she stood there, and she eventually slapped Nate's pointed finger out of her face.

"I don't lie. You know that, Nate! I've had so much hell throughout my life, why would I want to lie and add more hell t have to live through every day? And my daughter doesn't lie either. Honestly Nate, you're being played by that bitch downstairs that you for some unapparent reason like to cal your girlfriend. And don't you ever point your finger at me like that again. I'm not a child you're getting on to, I'm supposed to be your best friend, someone you trust and care about." Alex spat at him, her own face growing red with anger.

"How do you know Haylee's not lying to you? I mean, you and I both know who her father is. Maybe she is lying. Being a lying SOB bastard is in her blood anyways." Nate spat back at her, every word that came out of his mouth filled with hatred. Alex's eyes glazed over with rage and also with tears, having Nate, the person that was supposed to be her best friend, use her own nightmare against her. Alex marched over to her door and yanked it open, then turned to Nate.

"I want you to leave my house now and take your girlfriend with you. You are not welcome back. And you are certainly not welcome to call me your best friend anymore. My daughter is nothing like the sick son of a bitch that attacked me and created her." Alex said to him in a low, venom-filled voice. Nate just rolled his eyes disgustedly and shoved past her out the door. Alex stood in her doorway for a second before she remembered that she wasn't going to let Alison leave without getting a piece of her mind.

After taking a deep breath and willing her tears to stay away, at least until after Nate and Alison were gone, Alex sped down the stairs and directly to Alison who was standing by the front door waiting for Nate to finish saying goodbye to Alex's parents.

Alex, who was already filled from head to toe with anger, somehow got even more anger when she saw Alison, and she reached a hand up and slapped her hard. Alison's hand flew to her cheek in shock while Alex stepped closer to her.

"You can hate me all you want, and you can call me every name in the book if that's what you have to do. But, you may never again, under any circumstances, lay one finger on my daughter. If I find out that you have again, I will yank your fake blonde roots out of your head and break your plastic-surgery created nose so fast, you won't know what hit you. Got that?" Alex asked in a voice full of pure hatred. Alison merely nodded, and Alex turned and walked away, past the shocked faces of her family and Shane, and the death glare of Nate.

And by the time Alex had made it back up to her bedroom, tears were spilling like pouring raindrops out of her eyes. She barely made it to her bed before she collapsed and cried into her pillows.

She cried because Nate hadn't believed her in the first place. And, she cried because Nate, while he was supposed to be her best friend who didn't ever want her to be in pain, took the one thing that caused her the most pain in her life and used it against her to hurt her.

But, more than anything, she cried because Nate couldn't be called her best friend, or even just her friend, anymore. That in itself hurt more than could be described in words.

**A/N: And, that it for this one. I know y'all probably aren't happy with the way this one ended, but I have everything planned out for Nate and Alex in the end. (: And, like I told Ally-Woods-rox at the top, you can't get a rainbow without a storm first. (: The title to this chapter, **The Storm **is referring to that storm, leading up to the rainbow. (: Anyways, I hope y'all liked it! And, I'm sorry for the extremely long wait. Forgive me? (:**

**Also, the preview that I said would be on this one, **_"We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked."_**, will for sure be on the next one. I thought about it and realized that it would be too soon putting it on this one. (:**

**Have any questions for me about the story? You think this episode was good? You think it was worse than anything you've ever read before in your entire life? You think I have pretty eyes? TELL ME. I want to know! P L E A S E R E V I E W ! ! (: (:**

**Andd, I love y'all. God bless! (:**

**- Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

"_We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked."_

…_._

"_Momma, when will Nate cwome back?"_

…_._

"_I lost Nate once, and it practically killed me. But, it's so much harder this time, Mitchie. It's like it's a struggle to take each breath without him."_

…_._

"_Nate, admit it. You miss her. And you'd do anything in the world to be able to just hug her again."_

…_._

"_Why is Allie crying?"_

…_._

"_I don't need her in my life. I'm doing fine without her. She means nothing to me."_


	12. I Need You

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 11: I Need You.**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Soo, I haven't been on here in quite a while. I'm sorry, y'all, I really am, especially when y'all have been so incredible leaving me such great reviews. (: I love y'all.**

**How were your holidays? Any New Years Resolutions you want to share? How did you spend our Valentine's Day? I'm all ears. (: I had such a great Christmas. I got to spend it with my family, the ones I love deepest, and I got plenty more than what I deserved, I'm sure. I especially loved this candle holder my Momma got me that said, "Laughter is the music of the heart." It's beautiful. (: **

**Anything special you got that you'd like to share? (:**

**I've been so busy lately with choir competition (it was Thursday, and we got Superior in sight-reading!), chemistry kicking my butt, and my state writing test coming up, which won't be very hard, but it takes soooo much time writing essay after essay to prepare for it.**

**I love you all so much, and I really hope you enjoy this episode! Consider it your really late Christmas/New Years/Valentine's Day present. (:**

**Ally-Woods-Rox: **Haha. (: Aww, I'm sorry you hate Nate again. He'll come to his senses soon enough, I'm sure. He loves Haylee, he just.. "Has a screwed head", like you said. Everything will be okay. You'll just have to read and see how everything plays out. (; And yes, Mitchie and Shane to the rescue. (: Thank-you for your sweet review. And, I hope you like this episode! (:

**Maya07: **Awee, thank-you so much! I'm sorry I've kept you waiting for this update so long! (: And, I don't believe anyone likes Alison at this point, from reading my reviews. Haha. (: You've just got to put up with her for a bit longer. Thank-you for your sweet review! Andd, I really hope you enjoy reading this episode, and that it was well worth the wait! (:

**disney-channel-freak-93: **Aww, I'm sorry it made you cry. Child abuse it so tragic and sad. It breaks my heart. Children are just so innocent and care-free and sweet. They do not deserve any form of pain or hurt. Thank-you for your review, though. It was sweet. (: I hope you enjoy this episode as well. (:

**Brittana Forever: **I'm sorry for the long, long wait! (: I really hope you enjoy this episode, and that it was worth the long wait. (: Thank you for your review!

**Chasingtheimpossible: **Well, thank-you. That made me smile. YOU are brilliant. (: I'm glad you liked that episode so much. I hope you like this one even better! And, thank-you again for your review. (:

**Written-in-hearts: **Intense is a good word to describe that episode. (: Nobody likes Alison, not even me. But, things will turn well in the end. You'll just have to keep reading to see how things reach the ending. Thank-you for your review! (: I really hope you enjoy this episode. I'll keep writing as long as you keep readinggg. (:

**(**this incredible person didn't have a name..) **: **Aww, thank-you bunches! YOU are brilliant. (: And no, I most certainly don't want you dead. I sure hope you survived this long wait. Haha, I'm sorry this took so long. I just got SO busy. Yes, it takes a powerful level of awfulness to push a 3 year old, and Alison holds that powerful level of awfulness. Nobody likes her. But, no. I can't let Mitchie kill Alison. Then, Mitchie would go to jail, and the whole story would just go downhill from there, haha. (: Andd, I have the entire Demi Lovato album on MY iPod tooo! Her voice is incredible; SHE is incredible. (: I hope you enjoy reading this episode! (:

**(**this beautiful person didn't have a name either..**) : **Woah, I'm seriously honored that my story was the only other writing that made you cry besides 'The Last Song'. Nicholas Sparks is incredible, and his books always break me tooo. (: Thank-youuu! I hope you enjoy this episode just as much! (:

**sugar-fanatic08: **Well, thank-you. (: I'm glad my story could pull you in like that. (: Yeah, I don't understand guys like that either. It's confusing and painful, but it happens every single day. Alex is strong, as I'm sure you've gathered from earlier chapters, and she's got this. Especially with Mitchie and Haylee by her side. (: Thank-you for your sweet review! I hope you like this episode! (:

**(**this amazing person didn't have a name either..**): **Thank-youuuuuu! (: I'm glad you love it, and I hope you love this episode too! (:

**unperfectt: **Well, thank-you very much. Haha. Yeah, Nate and Alex are pretty much in the perfect place at the moment, as long as they forgive each other. But, you're correct. Not in this chapter. You're right about a lot of the reasons for Alex and Nate fighting and Nate not picking Alex's side. It's hard for people who have been best friends for a long time to take the risk and make it more than that. So, a lot of times, people are in denial, and are very confused, because the situation is very confusing as well. But, it'll all turn out just right in the end, I pinky swear. Well, at least until what I have in store for the sequel takes place. (; I hope you enjoy this episode, and thank-you for your review! (:

**(**this lovely person didn't have a name either..**): **Well, thank-you very much. That was one of those reviews that keep me smiling all day long. (: You're very sweet. (: Nate'll see sense soon enough, and I can't let Mitchie get revenge on Alison justttt yet. You'll see how everything will fall right into place as long as you keep readingg. (: Thank-you for your very sweet review! I hope you enjoy this episode just as much as you enjoyed the last. (:

**AlexLovesHufflePuff: **Hahaha. (: That made me laugh. Bash Nate in your head just as much as you want to. At this point, he deserves it. (: And yeah, no one likes Alison, not even me. As soon as I'm finished with her for this story, you're FREE to kill her. Plenty of my readers would thank you. Hahaha. (: Thank-you for your review! I hope you like this episode! (:

**Thank-you all for your very sweet reviews. They keep this smile going on my face. I love you all. God Bless you! - Jordan. (:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own WOWP, or Camp Rock, or Fruit Loops. The only thing I own is my incredibly creative, never-sparing-me-ideas mind, and the computer I'm typing on. Oh, and the idea for this story. (:**

**STARTING STORY:**

"Eat up quickly, sweetie, so we can get down to the station. The nice policemen said that they want to meet with Mommy as soon as possible. And because everyone else is out of the house today so they can't watch you, you get to come with me," Alex said to Haylee as she sat her down at the table, then put a bowl of Fruit Loops and milk down in front of her. After she planted a quick kiss on Haylee's forehead, Alex hurried over to the refrigerator to get a juice box for Haylee.

It was Monday morning, and though it was a regular school day, Alex was going to go in late after she got the call from Detective Leo and Detective Patrick while she was getting ready, asking her to get to the station as soon as she could.

It's been exactly two days since Alex's fight with Nate, and she was falling apart without him. It wasn't visible on the outside; Alex looked as good and healthy as ever. But, no one could see everything shattering beneath the surface. She was having an especially difficult time answering all of Haylee's questions about when she'd get to see Nate again. How do you tell a three-year-old that she can't see a person that she positively adores because he compared her to her sick, rapist father? Alex didn't know how to answer that question.

The truth was, she missed Nate. She missed his good morning text messages and middle-of-the-night phone calls, making sure she was doing okay and was nightmare-free. She, most of all, missed his hugs that made her know that everything was going to be okay, no matter how torn apart she was. But, even though she missed him, she couldn't bring herself to call him or even say one word to him. How can you forgive something that was supposed to be your best friend who not only chose someone else over you, but also used your own living nightmare against you? Alex didn't know how to answer that question either.

"I'm dwone, Momma," Haylee said to Alex about ten minutes later, breaking her out of her thoughts. Alex walked over to the kitchen table and gathered Haylee's cereal bowl and empty juice and brought them over to the sink.

"Alright baby girl. Go slip on some shoes and then we'll go, okay?" Alex asked. Haylee nodded with a grin, then ran off to find her shoes. Alex smiled after her, then grabbed her purse and phone off the kitchen table. She walked into the living room then, and grabbed her book bag and car keys off of the couch.

She planned to drop Haylee off at Miley's mom's house because her parents didn't expect to be back home until late that afternoon, and then go check into school late. No matter how desperately she just wanted to stay home for the rest of the day with her sweet daughter, she was determined to show Nate and Alison both that they didn't bother her in the least, even though they did.

"Come on, Haybear!" Alex called out a minute later as she headed for the front door. Haylee ran up to her then, and Alex grabbed onto her hand before they walked out the door and to Alex's car.

The ride over to the police station was quiet and peaceful, just as Alex liked it. They arrived less than ten minutes later, and after she parked and got herself out, Alex helped Haylee out and carried her into the station. The lady sitting at the front desk smiled at them as they walked inside. Alex smiled back and walked up to her.

"May I help you?" the lady asked her pleasantly. Alex nodded.

"Yes, Detective Leo and Detective Patrick called and asked me to come down. They said that they needed to talk to me," Alex replied, shifting Haylee to her hip.

"And your name, please?" the lady asked, reaching up and pushing a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh, it's Alex Russo," Alex replied with a small smile. The lady nodded her head once, then stood up and began walking down the hallway behind her desk.

"If you'll follow me please, I'll lead you to their office," the woman said to Alex, who simply nodded and began walking quickly to catch up to her. They stopped at a door near the end of the long hallway. The lady turned and smiled at Alex.

"This is their office. You can let yourself in. They should be expecting you," she said, then turned and began walking back to her desk.

"Thank-you!" Alex called after her, before she pushed the heavy wooden door open and walked inside. Detective Leo and Detective Patrick, who were both busy at their desks going over paperwork, both lifted their heads and smiled at Alex as she walked inside. Detective Leo was the first one to stand up and walk over to her, holding his arms out for a hug. Alex smiled happily and gladly hugged the man back. Detective Patrick was next before Alex took a seat in and empty chair with Haylee sitting on her lap.

"How have you been doing?" Detective Leo wanted to know. Alex forced a smile as thoughts of her fight with Nate entered her mind. Truthfully, she wasn't doing all that great, but she wasn't going to let Leo and Patrick in on that.

"I've been fine, I suppose. The nightmares are becoming less frequent, for both me and Mitchie. I guess that's normal," Alex replied, secretly thinking that nothing about her situation was normal. She didn't let them know that she'd had terrible nightmares for the past few nights, ever since she and Nate quit talking. Detective Patrick smiled at her and nodded his head.

"And how is school going for you? Your mom told us about your decision to get back to the swing of things so quickly," Patrick asked. Alex had to force another smile as memories of Alison's hurtful encounters and her very first day back flashed into her mind.

"As good as I expected it to go, I guess. I didn't walk in on the first day expecting everyone to be as supportive as others have been, and I was right about that. It's just typical high school, the rumors and hurtful words included," Alex replied as she shifted Haylee over in her lap and crossed her legs. Leo and Patrick both nodded in understanding at her answer; each of them had teenage daughters that came home from school each day talking about the drama circling around them and their friends. It was quiet for a second before Alex spoke up again.

"I know you guys didn't just call me down here to talk about how I'm doing, so one of you two better spill what's going on," Alex said to them, an eyebrow raised and a knowing look on her face. Leo and Patrick looked at each other for a moment, as if contemplating who would be the one to tell Alex everything, before they looked back at her. Detective Patrick sighed before he began.

"We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked," he said slowly, unsure of how Alex would take the news. Alex looked from one detective to another and then down to her little girl in her lap, a million questions whirling through her mind at once. Who was this girl? When did it happen to her? Was she okay? Alex's heart ached for the girl that she didn't even know yet.

Alex glanced down at Haylee again, then moved her so she was standing on the floor in front of her looking at her.

"Baby, why don't you head back out to the front desk, the one with the lady who walked us back here. Mommy needs to talk to Detective Leo and Detective Patrick alone," Alex said gently to her little girl, knowing that Haylee didn't need to hear anything else. Haylee nodded and kissed Alex on her cheek.

"Otay, Momma," Haylee replied, then skipped off to the door. Alex watched as Haylee pulled it open, then walked through it. She didn't say anything until she saw the door close again.

"Who.. I mean, when… What?" Alex stuttered out to Leo and Patrick once the door was finally closed. Leo sighed a bit and cleared his throat.

"Her name is Natalie Burke. Kevin got to her the evening before he got to you. Natalie told us that she met Kevin when he moved here, and that the two began dating very soon after they met. He quickly started becoming abusive towards her, and then he broke into her house and attacked her. She was too scared to tell anybody at first, but when she saw the picture of Kevin on the news and heard that he'd been arrested, she came to us," Detective Leo explained quietly, hoping that nothing of what he was saying would hit Alex the wrong way. Fortunately for him, he didn't know how much Alex's heart was breaking for the girl that went through the same nightmare that she did.

"H-How old is she?" Alex asked quietly a minute later, soaking in everything the detectives were telling her.

"She's a bit younger than you are now. She's fifteen years old," Patrick replied. Alex had to hold back the tears that then began to sting her eyes.

"Exactly as old as I was," She murmured quietly. And then, another thought hit her. She glanced down at the empty place on her lap, the spot where Haylee had been sitting just minutes ago. She then began to remember when she first found out she was pregnant with Haylee. She had been so terrified.

"She can't be.. No, no, no.. Is she.. Is she pregnant? Lord, please tell me no," the silence that filled the room after that question answered it, and a few tears leaked out of Alex's eyes and down her cheeks.

"She.. She wanted to meet you and to talk to you. She's so scared, and she just doesn't have any idea what to do. Her parents haven't been successful at trying to get through to her, and they told us that all of her friends bailed on her," Leo explained to Alex slowly, a sad frown on his face. He hated cases like Natalie's and like Alex's that were always so devastating. Alex started to nod her head, wiping away her tears with one of her hands.

"Yes, of course I'll talk to her. God, she must be dying right now. When can I meet her?" Alex asked, feeling a little better at the fact that she'd be able to meet the poor girl. She, of all people, understood fully what Natalie was going through. She wanted to meet with this girl, and make her feel as much better as she possibly could.

"She left her phone number for you, and you can just call her whenever you get the chance," Leo replied as he grabbed a sheet of paper with Natalie's phone number written on it and handed it to Alex. Alex nodded as she took the paper into her own shaky hand, then stood up. She took a deep breath and willed her tears away before she spoke.

"Thank-you.. For telling me. I think I'll just forget school for the rest of the day and go see her. Also, thank-you for… just for everything, especially making it so that my little girl ," Alex said to the two detectives, before she grabbed her purse, and left the room. She got Haylee from the front desk, thanking the lady for watching her, then left the station. Once she and Haylee were buckled into their seats in the car, Alex pulled her phone out and dialed the number on the sheet of paper Leo handed her.

The phone rang several times, and Alex almost hung up before a soft, emotionless voice finally answered.

"Hello?" the voice asked so quietly Alex almost thought she imagined it. Alex took a deep breath before she responded.

"Um, hey. I'm Alex Russo. Is this Natalie?" Alex asked slowly. She heard the girl on the other end take in a quick surprised breath, as if she wasn't expecting Alex to call at all.

"Y-You're the girl… the other one that…" Natalie trailed off, emotion filling her voice by now. Tears pricked the backs of Alex's eyes, and she nodded her head. When she realized that Natalie couldn't possibly see her, she spoke.

"Yes, I'm her. The detectives just gave me your phone number. Is.. Is it okay if I come and see you?" Alex asked hopefully, desperately wanting to meet this girl. She wanted to ask her if she was okay, but she knew that the answer would definitely be no.

"I-I'd love that. I need that more than anything. But, is it okay if I come to you instead?" Natalie asked, not bothering to explain her reasoning, though Alex didn't care.

"Um, sure. I'm in the parking lot of the police station now, but I should be home in just about five minutes," Alex replied, then went on to explain to Natalie how to get to her house. The girls hung up just a minute later, and Alex started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, beginning her drive home. She glanced in the rearview mirror at Haylee a second later, and smiled when she saw Haylee with a book in her hands, trying to read it.

"Is that a good book, Haybear?" Alex asked Haylee with a smile. She saw Haylee nod her head as she glanced at her through the mirror again.

"How would you like it if Momma stayed home with you for the rest of the day?" Alex asked her, knowing that she wouldn't want to go back to school after she got to talk with Natalie.

Alex giggled when she saw Haylee's entire face light up in excitement.

"Yay!" the little girl squealed, making Alex laugh more as she pulled her car to a stop at a red light.

"Momma's having someone over for a little while a few minutes after we get home, and you'll have to be on your best behavior then, but afterwards, we'll have the rest of the day to spend together. What would you like to do?" Alex asked as she began driving again.

"We go see Nate and Uncwle Shane?" Haylee asked a few seconds later, her voice sounding like it was bursting with excitement. Alex felt the smile fall from her face. She hated keeping Haylee from Nate, but she just couldn't let him see her after what he said.

"I don't know, baby. We might can see Uncle Shane when Aunt Mitchie comes home from school this afternoon," Alex replied, hoping that Haylee would forget about wanting to see Nate. But, of course, she didn't. The little girl had a heart the size of Texas, and she loved Nate so much.

"Momma, when will Nate cwome back?" Haylee asked in a sad voice a minute later. Alex glanced at her through the mirror again and frowned even more when she saw that Haylee wasn't smiling anymore.

"Sweetie, do you remember a while back when me and Nate were fighting, when we didn't talk to each other, and he made Momma cry?" Alex asked. Haylee mumbled a yes, and Alex continued.

"Well, Momma and Nate are fighting again. He said some things that were bad, and they hurt my feelings," Alex explained to Haylee the best way she knew how to, putting it mildly, as she pulled the car into the driveway of her house and parked it.

"Nate mwade you cry?" Haylee asked, a confused frown on her face. Alex knew that it was hard for Haylee to understand everything, and she felt bad that she had to go through it at all. She unbuckled her seatbelt then, and turned around to look at Haylee.

"Yes, baby. But everything's alright. We'll see Uncle Shane later, okay?" Alex asked, eager to get off of the subject and to get Haylee smiling again.

"Otay, Momma," Haylee said. Alex smiled at Haylee, then got out of the car, slinging her purse over her shoulder, then walked around the car and opened Haylee's door. Alex got Haylee out, then balanced her on her hip and she carried her into the house.

"I love you, my sweet Haybear," Alex said to Haylee, and then smiled when she saw Haylee start to smile again too.

"I wove you too, Momma," Haylee replied, then kissed Alex on her cheek. Alex grinned as they walked through the front door, and she set Haylee down and laid her purse on the kitchen counter.

"Me go play, Momma," Haylee said to Alex a few minutes after Alex sat her down on the ground. Alex nodded, and Haylee ran off.

"Now it's time to call Mrs. Stewart," Alex said quietly to herself as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through the contacts to Mrs. Stewart's number.

A few minutes later, after she got off the phone with Miley's mom, letting her know that she didn't need her to watch Haylee after all, Alex walked over to the couch in the living room and sunk down into the end cushion. She turned on the TV and flipped to some movie she'd already seen with Mitchie before. She was too distracted to pay attention, though.

It bothered her how much keeping Nate away upset Haylee.

It bothered her how much keeping Nate away upset herself.

"Haylee doesn't deserve that," Alex whispered to herself as she tossed the remote to the other end of the couch. Haylee had grown so attached to Nate even before she and he made up, and Alex knew it was wrong to keep her away from him. But, she didn't know what to do. What Nate said and how he immediately took Alison's side over hers hurt her, and she couldn't just forget about that.

Alex sighed, and was pulled out of her thoughts a minute later by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Alex stood up to get it, and on her way to the front door, she heard the soft padding of footsteps on carpet and Haylee yelling, "I get it!"

"Wait a second, Haybear. Let Momma see who it is first," Alex said as she came up behind Haylee, though she suspected that it was probably Natalie. Alex picked Haylee up and balanced her on her hip as she looked through the peep-hole on the door. Actually seeing the poor girl, the girl that was in the same situation now that Alex was in just three years earlier, broke Alex's heart.

Though they didn't look similar in any way, Alex could see herself perfectly in Natalie's extremely fragile, broken expression. Her light blonde, naturally curly hair hung loosely, and it looked as if it hadn't had anything done to it in days; not greasy or anything like that, just messy. The big brown eyes that resembled Alex's so much looked glassed-over, yet filled with emotion and unthinkable pain at the same time. Alex just wanted to hug her.

"Who is it, Momma?" Haylee asked before Alex opened the door. Alex hesitated before she answered, trying to come up with just the right words to use to answer her daughter's question.

"It's Momma's friend, Natalie, baby. You'll have to be very sweet to her. Can you be the best little princess you can be while she's here talking to Momma?" Alex asked Haylee softly. Little Haylee just nodded, and Alex kissed her on the top of her head before she opened the door. Alex, knowing that she needed to be strong for the girl standing in front of her and not start crying, forced a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm Alex. You must be Natalie. You can come on inside," Alex said gently the girl, who simply nodded then walked on inside. Alex shut the door behind her. Haylee looked Natalie up and down, and then smiled at her.

"I Haylee Elle Russo," Haylee said to Natalie, who looked up at Haylee, a bit of shock swimming in her eyes, as if she'd just noticed her in Alex's arms.

"Hey there, sweetie. My name is Natalie," Natalie spoke for the first time then forced the tiniest of smiles for Haylee. Alex set Haylee down on the carpet then.

"Baby, will you go and play in your room for just a little while? Momma and Natalie need some time to talk," Alex asked Haylee, who nodded agreeably, then ran off to her room. Once she was gone, Natalie just looked at Alex.

"Is that… Was that… Who…," Natalie sputtered out, not sure of what to think and assuming the worst of situations. Alex's smile began to fall off her lips, and she just looked at Natalie before she spoke.

"Let's head into the living room so we can talk more," Alex suggested. Natalie nodded, and Alex led her into the living room. Natalie took a seat on the couch, and Alex joined her just after she turned the TV off. Natalie looked at Alex for a second and then suddenly burst into tears. Alex quickly scooted closer to Natalie and pulled her into a big hug, one that both of them desperately needed.

"I know the last thing you want to hear right now is that everything is going to get better, but it is. Everything just sucks right now, and it feels like there won't ever be an end to your pain, but it is going to get better. I swear," Alex whispered to Natalie as she hugged her more tightly and tears leaked out of her own eyes.

"It.. It's so hard. I-I don't have friends anymore. They expected me to be better over night, as if it were that easy. My parents treat me like I'm some contagious freak show. N-nobody understands what it feels like to wake up each day and just want to die. How… How are you so strong?" Natalie asked Alex, breaking down again. Alex didn't bother to wipe away her own tears anymore and hugged Natalie even tighter.

"You're right. A lot of people just don't realize what it's like to feel so completely awful that you think dying would be better than having to live through everything. And sleep is never a relief because the nightmares are sometimes even worse than reality. You want to give up, but that would make you seem even weaker than everyone around you already thinks you are. And you just want to confront the son of a bitch that did this to you, but you know you'll never have the courage to do it," Alex said to Natalie. She then hugged her tighter and stroked her hair.

"But, it gets better. It won't stay this terrible forever, and, eventually, living through everything will seem better than giving up. It's hard and frustrating and just plain awful, but it's worth it in the end," Alex said this last part in a firm, determined voice, letting Natalie know that she was being serious, that things were going to get better someday.

After about half an hour, Natalie had calmed down enough so that she wasn't sobbing anymore. She pulled out of Alex's hug and looked at her with a tear-stained face and red, swollen eyes.

"Is y-your daughter… is she his?" Natalie asked her a minute later, one hand wiping at her tears and another placed lovingly on her stomach. Alex swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and nodded her head slowly.

"How… how do you do it, seeing his face in her every single day and being reminded of everything?" Natalie asked her, her voice catching at the end. Alex stayed quiet for a minute, thinking about Natalie's question and looking at a picture of Haylee's smiling face that was hanging on the wall behind Natalie. She couldn't see any form of badness in her sweet little girl.

"When Haylee was born and I first got the chance to look into her face, I saw hope and strength and everything I needed at that moment to keep myself from giving up. Haylee is my reason to live through all of the bad stuff and to strive to be my best. She was my rock when everything else around me came crashing down. She doesn't remind me of the bad things, because she was the only good thing I had when all the bad things were happening," Alex replied. Natalie looked from Alex to her stomach, where her hand was placed. When she looked back up at Alex, she had tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should keep it. I'm so scared," Natalie cried, placing her other hand on top of the hand that was already on her stomach.

"I can't tell you what to do, because I'm not you and I don't know what you're thinking. But, I can tell you that even though she came from the very worst thing that's ever happened to me, Haylee is the very best thing that's ever happened to me," Alex said to Natalie, then pulled her in for another hug.

Natalie left that afternoon feeling a little better than she felt before, because she was finally able to talk to someone that completely understood what she was going through.

Once she was gone, Alex sat down on the couch and sighed in exhaustion. She wiped away a few stray tears that were still on her cheeks, and she ran one of her hands through her hair. It was early afternoon, and there were still three hours to go before Mitchie would be home.

After another sigh, Alex stood up and headed into the kitchen, giving in to her growling stomach even though she didn't feel much like eating. Haylee, who had fallen asleep while Natalie was over, was still upstairs taking a nap, so Alex was by herself for a little while.

She had already gotten out the makings for a ham sandwich and began making it when her phone began to ring. She wiped her hands on a towel laying on the counter beside her before she pulled her phone out of her back pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" Alex answered, balancing the phone up to her ear with her shoulder while she used her hands to finish making her sandwich.

"Where are you? Did you forget about the big Chemistry test next block?" Mitchie asked, and Alex could hear the crowded cafeteria in the background. Alex set the knife she'd been using to spread mayonnaise with down and sighed a little.

"Crap. I forgot all about it. I've had a really long day," Alex replied, and it was true. With everything that had gone down that day, the chemistry test that was going to count for more than twenty percent of her grade slipped her mind.

"What happened?" Mitchie asked, concern laced into her voice. Alex sighed again and placed the second piece of bread onto her sandwich.

"There was another girl that Kevin attacked, and she was over here talking to me today. It's a really long story; I'll tell you everything later," Alex replied, not wanting to get into the whole story again and make herself cry more.

"Gosh, okay. But, what are you going to do about the chemistry test next block? Mrs. Evers said there wouldn't be any make up tests given, so you really can't miss it," Mitchie asked, sounding worried.

"I guess I'll find someone to watch Haylee, then head up there. Thanks for reminding me, Mitch," Alex said in a tired voice, then hung up and stuck her phone back into her back pocket. She wrapped a napkin around her sandwich, before she took a bite then headed into the living room to call around for a babysitter for Haylee.

Forty-five minutes later, Alex was becoming desperate. She had to be at the school to take her test in twenty minutes, and, so far, she had nobody to watch Haylee for her. She couldn't reach her parents, so she figured they had their phones turned on silent while they were at their meeting, and Mrs. Stewart was busy, because she'd made plans after Alex called earlier and told her that she didn't need her to baby-sit Haylee anymore. Even the old lady from across the street was busy and couldn't help out. With an anxious sigh, Alex began to scroll through the contacts on her phone again, hoping she'd see someone she'd missed that she could call.

She stopped when she reached Nate's name. She knew that Mrs. Grey was usually at home around this time every afternoon, but she felt weird about having to see Nate when she picked Haylee up after school. She glanced at her watch and saw that she only had fifteen minutes left and sighed, and then began dialing Mrs. Grey's number. Mrs. Grey picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Mrs. Grey, this is Alex. I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you," Alex said, hoping to goodness that Mrs. Grey didn't already have afternoon plans.

"Alex, sweetie, you can ask me anything. How can I help?" Mrs. Grey asked. Alex smiled and thought a silent 'Thank God' before she replied.

"I have this big chemistry test I have to go take in fifteen minutes, and I was wondering if you'd mind watching Haylee for me for a little while," Alex replied hopefully, crossing her fingers at her side for good luck.

"Of course I'll watch that little pumpkin for you! I've been missing her lately," Mrs. Grey replied, and Alex could hear the smile in her voice. Alex sighed in relief, then smiled.

"Thank-you so much, Mrs. Grey. I'll bring her over in just a few minutes, and then I'll be back to pick her up as soon as school's over," Alex said to Mrs. Grey with a smile as se began walking upstairs to Haylee's room. After they exchanged a few more words, Alex hung up and stuck her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She walked into Haylee's bedroom and over to her bed, then squatted down to Haylee's level and began to gently shake her awake. Haylee's eyes fluttered open seconds later, and she looked at Alex with a confused expression. Alex smiled at her and began to stroke her hair.

"Hey sweet girl. Momma has to go up to school and take a big test, so you're going to stay with Mrs. Grey, okay?" Alex asked her softly. Haylee nodded slowly and sat up.

"We go now?" Haylee asked her. Alex nodded and stood up, then picked Haylee up and balanced her on her hip. She grabbed a pair of Haylee's sandals before she turned off the light and carried Haylee downstairs. She grabbed her car keys and a pencil, and then she was out the door.

An hour and a half later, Alex was sitting in her desk next to Mitchie working hard on her test. She was working on the last question, which was an unusually difficult problem dealing with empirical formulas, when a balled-up piece of paper landed on her desk. Alex furrowed her eyebrows, then glanced up at Mrs. Evers. She was busy grading papers at her desk and not paying an attention to her, so Alex grabbed the note and un-crumpled it. What it said made her stomach feel sick.

'You're such a slut. No wonder Nate doesn't want to hang out with you anymore. I feel sorry for Kevin, though, wasting those few minutes of his life on someone as worthless as you.

PS: You will pay for what you said to me.'

The note wasn't signed, but it didn't have to be signed for Alex to know who sent it. She turned and looked over her shoulder at Alison, who was looking back at her with a smug expression.

Tears burned in Alex's eyes as she read the note over again, and she couldn't stop them as they rolled down her cheeks and made a puddle on her desk in front of her. She heard Alison snickering with some of her cheerleader friends behind her and whispering things like "slut" and "worthless" and "pathetic". A sob escaped Alex, and she stood up, grabbed her car keys, and fled the room, not answering to Mitchie or Mrs. Evers who were calling after her. She had to get out of there.

Alex ran down the stairs, tripping twice because her tears blurred her vision, and out the front doors of the school. Once she was outside, she tried to take in a deep breath but couldn't because she was shaking too hard. She hugged herself around her stomach and just cried and cried. She began slowly walking toward her car in the parking lot.

That's when she heard it.

It came from around the side of the building, and it was said in the voice that she recognized all too well.

It made her heart feel as if it were shattering into a million different pieces.

"I don't need her in my life. I'm doing fine without her. Alex means nothing to me."

_With Nate and Shane, 10 minutes earlier…_

"Man, I'm so glad Coach Moore let us out of practice early. I'm so ready to head home," Nate said to Shane as they walked from the gym to the parking lot together. The new season of basketball was starting soon, and Coach Moore was drilling all of the guys on the team so they'd be ready for their first game. Lucky for them, though, Coach Moore had to leave early to go to a doctor appointment with his wife.

"Nate, I need to talk to you about something," Shane said, ignoring Nate's comment. He hadn't been listening to much of what Nate's said all day, actually. Nate looked at him curiously, giving him a look that told him to go on. Shane sighed and walked in silence for a minute before he began.

"This fight you're having with Alex…. You're being ridiculous, man," Shane said, earning a loud sigh of annoyance from Nate.

"I don't want to talk about this," Nate said as they reached the side of the school building. They stopped walking and looked at each other, Shane giving Nate a knowing look.

"Nate, just admit it. You miss her. And you'd do anything in the world to be able to just hug her again," Shane said to his little brother. The look Nate had in his eyes made Shane know that he was right, but Nate was determined to hide it.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Nate replied, looking down at his feet. Shane rolled his eyes and sighed.

"As I said before, you're being ridiculous. You love Alex, and she loves you. Why would she lie to you to hurt you, when all she really wants is for you to be happy?" Shane asked Nate. Nate stayed quiet for a while, shuffling his feet and doing everything else he could to keep from admitting that Shane was right.

"Just go talk to her. You need Alex in your life more than you need Alison," Shane said. Nate looked at Shane then, an angry expression on his face.

"Look," he began, his voice tense. "I don't need her in my life. I'm doing fine without her. Alex means nothing to me," Nate said. Shane looked at him in frustration and disbelief. He was going to say something, when they heard a loud sob coming from around on the other side of the building. Shane raised his eyebrows in concern, and both boys walked around to the other side just in time to see Alex running away, tears falling freely from her eyes.

The sight broke both boys' hearts, but especially Nate's. Though he still believed Alison over Alex, he still cared about Alex, and it still pained him to see her cry. The boys watched as Alex reached her car and shakily got inside, then laid her head on the steering wheel and just cried.

"Why is Allie crying?" Nate asked in a worry-consumed voice, hoping to God inside that she didn't just hear him say that she means nothing to him. Nate began to feel sick at his stomach as he watched Alex sit in her car and just sob, knowing that he couldn't go help her because they were still fighting.

"You sure she means nothing to you?" Shane asked in an angry yet knowing voice, giving Nate a look of disappointment.

_With Mitchie…._

"Alex!" Mitchie called as she watched her best friend run out of the classroom crying. She heard the snickers of Alison and her snobby friends behind her, and, for the first time, she noticed the crumpled-up note laying on Alex's desk. She furrowed her eyebrows, then reached over and grabbed the note. It only took her the few seconds of reading that note to realize what had upset Alex so badly.

Mitchie crumbled up the paper in her fist in rage before she stood up and gave Alison a look of pure hatred.

"You are such a hateful, selfish bitch," Mitchie said to Alison in a low voice, challenging her to say something back before she walked up to Mrs. Evers with hers and Alex's tests.

"They're both finished. I'm going to check on Alex," Mitchie said to Mrs. Evers, who took the tests then nodded at her. Mitchie went and grabbed her book-bag and purse from her desk before she rushed out the door to find Alex.

Mitchie found Alex sobbing in the front seat of her car ten minutes later. She yanked the car door open and threw her arms around Alex, letting her soak the shoulder of her shirt in tears.

"Alison's just a bitch, Lex. Her words don't mean anything and they're not anywhere near true. Everything's okay," Mitchie soothed Alex, stroking her back the entire time. Alex just started to shake her head, and she pulled away from Mitchie and looked at her, her face a mixture of red and pain and smeared black eye make-up.

"I lost Nate once, and it practically killed me. But, it's so much harder this time, Mitchie. It's like it's a struggle to take each breath without him," Alex cried, and then started shaking with sobs again. Mitchie just pulled her in for a tighter hug and continuously whispered soothing words.

There was one thing she knew for sure, though. No matter what, she was definitely going to find a way to get Nate and Alex to forgive each other and be friends again. She had to.

**A/N: And, that's it for this episode! I hope y'all enjoyed it, even though it was pretty sad the whole way through. What do y'all think about Nate and Alex's situation? What about what Nate said? And what Alison said? Tell me! Please Review! (:**

**I'm sorry again for the incredibly long delay in getting this out. I had so much going on, I barely had time to think. But, I don't have so much going on anymore, and Spring Break is coming up, so I'll try arder to get updates out more frequently for y'all. I love y'all! God bless! - Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

"_For the love of all that's good in this world, just talk to each other!"_

…_._

"_I wants Nate! I wants Nate! I wants Nate!"_

…_._

"_The elevator stopped, you idiot!"_

…_._

"_I get it. You think I'm a slut and you think I'm worthless and you just can't freaking stand me. In all honesty, though, your opinion just doesn't matter to me. Just leave me alone."_

…_._

"_My God, what happened to you? Where did those bruises come from?"_

…_._

"_I'm never going to go back there."_


	13. Elevator Apologies

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 12: Elevator Apologies**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey, y'all. I know it seems like I've been kind of MIA lately, and I'm sorry for that. I've had a lot going on, and my life has gotten kind of crazy lately. Not to mention, I became obsessed with Pinterest. (; I know it wasn't fair to you all, but I had to take a step back and take a breather from everything. I really am sorry. But, I'm going to get on the ball with this writing, not only for you guys, but because I've missed it as well. It was like a big chunk of me was missing, and I didn't like it very much.**

**Buttttttt….. I'm back! And, I've got PLENTY to write about! I love you guys so much, and I hope you enjoy this episode! (:**

**nadiac869: **I know this update probably wasn't as soon as you wanted, but I still hope you really enjoy it! And, thank-you for your review! (:

**Written-in-hearts: **It makes me happy that you enjoyed that episode! And, you will definitely get to see more of the Alex and Natalie friendship in the future. In fact, that's a huge part of the sequel. I can't give too much away, though. Haha. (: I still hate Alison too, haha. And, Nate isn't stupid, he just hasn't realized just how vital Alex is to him just yet. But, you'll see that he's starting to realize. I hope you enjoy this episode and thank-you for your review! (:

**sugar-fanatic08: **I agree, Alex definitely does not deserve all the crap she's getting thrown at her. But, Alison will get what's coming to her, and Nate will come to his senses. You'll see. (: Thank-you for your review, and I hope you enjoy this episode! (:

**Chasingtheimpossible: **Haha, I agree. Nate most definitely does need to grow up. He's just very conflicted at the moment, but it will all soon pass. Thank-you for your review! I really hope you enjoy this episode! (:

**Brittana Forever: **You are super sweet! Thank-you! I really hope you enjoy this episode! (:

**ImaginatingIsCaptivating: **Haha, aww! You are the sweetest. But, heart attacks are not allowed. I like for my readers to be healthy and happy! Haha. (: In all seriousness, though, your review meant the world to me. Everything you mentioned is exactly what I strive for as a write, and to know that I'm succeeding, is just an amazing feeling. And, I do plan on continuing and becoming an author; it's my biggest dream, the one I'm most passionate about. Thank-you so much. (: Onto the story, though, I agree completely. Nate DOES need to fix things. Haha. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Your review made my day. (:

**CeaseFireOne: **Aww, you're very sweet. Thank-you for your review! I think Nate needs to use his brain too. Haha. I hope you enjoy this episode! (:

**I love you guys! Thank-you so much for your sweet reviews and for your patience. It really does mean the world to me. God bless you! – Jordan. (:**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the idea for this story. ;)**

**STARTING STORY:**

Pulling into her driveway an hour late after school, Alex didn't make a move to get out of her car and go inside. She was physically, and emotionally, drained, and she felt as if she'd cried herself dry. She ignored the numerous phone calls from Mitchie, no doubt asking where she was, and she pulled down her sun visor mirror and looked at herself. Her face was streaked with dried tears and smeared eye make-up, and the bruise just under her left cheekbone was blue and swollen and in desperate need of an ice-pack. She continued to sit there and stare at it, though, as if she hadn't the slightest idea where it had come from, all the while the events from the day flowed through her brain like a wild fire. Her own voice saying, "I get it. You think I'm a slut and you think I'm worthless and you just can't freaking stand me. In all honesty, though, your opinion just doesn't matter to me. Just leave me alone," followed by Alison's fist colliding with her face and ending with a hard kick to her stomach and the word, "slut."

"I'm never going to go back there," Alex murmured to herself.

She couldn't take anymore; she'd been pushed to the edge, and she just didn't have the strength to get back up and fight anymore. Alex stayed in the car, still staring at the bruise on her face, until she got a text message from Mitchie, saying that Haylee was having a tantrum and that she needed to get home.

Alex took a deep breath then and wiped away a stray tear, wishing that she could stay there, but knowing that Haylee needed her. She then closed her mirror, grabbed her belongings, and made her way out of her car and inside the house, wincing at the pain moving around gave the bruise on her stomach. Once inside, she set her things down on the kitchen table, and then walked on into the living room, where the sight of her daughter in tears somehow ignited the fight inside of her.

"I wants Nate! I wants Nate! I wants Nate!" Haylee was screaming, tears running down her blood-red face. The sight broke Alex's heart, and all she wanted to do at that second was to scoop her little girl up into her arms and drive her the short distance to Nate; to have Nate envelope her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay, that hr needed her just as much as she needed him.

Instead, though, Alex quickly walked over to her little Haylee and sat down beside her on the carpet, promptly pulling her into her arms and wiping her tears away. Haylee seemed to calm immediately once she was in her mother's arms. Mitchie, who had been trying to soothe Haylee for half an hour already, look relieved to see Alex there. But, as she looked closer, her expression turned to horrified.

"My God, Lex! Where did that bruise come from?" she demanded, her voice wavering with worry. Alex just shook her head, not wanting to get into it at the moment, afraid her tears might start up again.

"I mwiss Nate, Momma," Haylee said to her in a sad voice, reaching a tiny finger up and running it over Alex's bruise, as if wondering where it came from. Alex nodded and kissed the top of Haylee's head.

"I know you do, baby. I know you do," Alex replied, and God did she know. She missed Nate to the point that it was almost unbearable. But, after hearing Nate say that she means nothing to him, she began to lose hope that they would ever make up. Those words, hearing Nate say that she means nothing to him, transformed her into almost another person, one that found it hard to eat or sleep or even breathe because she knows that one of the people that means the world to her, even more than her own life, doesn't even need her.

"Can we go see him now?" Haylee asked slowly. Alex looked down into her daughter's hopeful eyes, and she just couldn't force herself to say no to her. It was clear how much Haylee admires and loves Nate, and she just couldn't keep her little girl from someone that important to her.

Alex sighed a little. "Go get your shoes on, and Momma will call and see if Nate is busy," she replied, trying not to sound as defeated as she felt. Haylee's face lit up instantly, and she was gone in a flash to find her shoes. Alex took a tired breath, and then stood back up. She looked over at Mitchie, who was still watching her worriedly.

"Lexie, who hit you?" Mitchie asked her, although she felt she already knew the answer to her question.

Alex took another deep breath and pulled out her phone out of her jeans pocket. Looking down at it so she wouldn't have to look Mitchie in the eyes, she quietly replied, "Alison."

"I am going to kill that bitch. I swear. Are you okay?" Mitchie asked her, walking closer and pulling Alex into a hug. Her anger was bubbling inside of her. She was so sick and tired or Alison hurting Alex. To her, it drew the line when she pushed Haylee over, but bruising Alex was pushing things way too far.

Alex let a few tears escape before she pulled away and wiped them away. She was so tired of having to hold everything together when she felt as if she was falling apart.

"About the bruises? Yeah, sure. I'm fine. They'll go away. But, about everything else? No. Not even close," Alex answered honestly as she scrolled through the contacts in her phone and stopped at Nate's name.

She stepped away from Mitchie before she hit the call button and put the phone up to her ear. The phone rang eight times, and Alex was about to give up, when she heard an uncertain "Hello?"

She took a deep breath, deciding to skip right to the point. "Haylee want to see you. She misses you. Can I bring her over?" Her voice sounded strange and almost automatic.

"I, um, I'm actually not at home right now. I'm at my dad's office helping him move his new desk in. You can bring her here, though, if you want," Nate replied, and Alex noticed that his voice sounded strange too. It was as if they were two strangers talking together, not two people who'd known each other their entire lives, not two people who used to care about one another.

"That's fine. We'll be there in about ten minutes," Alex replied, then hung up without bothering to say goodbye.

"Hurry up, Haybear!" Alex called out as she walked back into the kitchen to grab her purse and keys. Mitchie followed after her.

"Do you need me to come with you? I mean, I could take Haylee so you don't have to, if you want me to," Mitchie offered, willing to do anything to make things easier for Alex. Alex shook her head no, though, as she opened the freezer and pulled out an ice bag.

"No, I know you've probably already made plans with Shane or something. I can handle this. But, thank-you," Alex replied as she placed the ice bag on the bruise on her face, wincing as the cold came into contact with her skin.

"I weady, Momma!" Haylee exclaimed as she bounced back into the room, her earlier tears now replaced with a huge smile. Alex smiled a little more as she grabbed onto Haylee's hand with her free hand.

"Let's go then, baby girl!" Alex replied, trying to sound energetic, to the excited little girl in her arms, though she, herself, was far from excited to face Nate again.

"Well, call me if you need me, Lex. And you, sweet little Haylee-Bug, have fun! And tell Nate that I said hello," Mitchie said, smiling at Haylee, who grinned right back at her. Alex had the feeling that nothing could bring Haylee down at this moment.

_With Nate, a few minutes earlier…_

"Who was that?" Shane asked Nate as he finished sending a message to Mitchie on his phone. Both boys were up at their dad's work helping him move his new, much bigger, desk. At that particular moment, though, they were taking a short break, after just having moved the old desk out.

Nate glanced up at Shane from his phone, which he was still staring at with an unsure expression.

"Oh, it was just Alex. She's about to bring Haylee by. She said that Haylee misses me and wants to see me or something," Nate replied as if it were nothing, as if his heart wasn't beating a hundred times overdrive. Shane gave him a surprised look.

The truth was, Nate hadn't been able to get Alex out of his head since the day before when she overheard his conversation with Shane, since the day he saw her running away in tears. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake that image out of his head, his Allie crying. And, knowing that he caused her that pain… Nate felt awful, to say the least.

"That's good. Are you going to talk to Alex while she's here?" Shane asked slowly, hopefully. At that question, Nate sighed deeply.

"She's just bringing Haylee here to see me. She's not interested in talking to me, and I'm not interested in talking to her either," Nate replied, even though talking to Alex was all her wanted at that point. Too bad his pride was standing in the way, along with Alison.

"For the record, I think you're being a jerk. Alex needs you. That girl has been through Hell and back, and she trusted you to be her safe place. And, even though you won't admit to it, you need her too," Shane said, irritation written across his face as plain as day.

Nate was quiet for a while, absorbing everything Shane just told him, and realizing just how right he was. He immediately began to feel even guiltier. But… what about Alison?

Before he could respond, though, there was a knock at the office door. It then opened, and a very bubbly Haylee ran straight up to him.

"Nate!" the little girl squealed as Nate forced on a smile and lifted her up into his arms.

"Hey Haylee! I've been missing you so much," Nate said, faking his enthusiasm. After everything Nate had said to him just a few seconds before, Nate felt like he had a world of thoughts to untangle.

"My God, what happened to you? Where did that bruise come from?" Shane demanded after Alex pulled the ice bag away from her face. Nate turned to look at her then, and the dark bruise he immediately spotted formed a knot in his stomach. It was all he could do to keep from pulling her into his arms and never letting her go.

"It's... It's nothing, Shane," Alex replied, feeling uneasy being in the same room as Nate. She certainly wasn't going to say it was Alison and have Nate call her a liar again. Shane furrowed his eyebrows at her worriedly.

"That doesn't look like nothing," he said, stepping closer and running a finger over it gently. "God, Lex. What the hell happened?" Shane asked her again, knowing by the way she was flinching at his touch that it wasn't "nothing."

Alex breathed a small sigh before she responded. "It really is nothing. Go spend some time with Haylee, and we'll talk about it later. I'm alright," Alex forced a reassuring smile at the end, even though she was honestly far from alright.

Shane watched her carefully a minute longer, worry being his only expression, before her finally nodded and walked over to Nate and Haylee. He knew she'd tell him everything later.

Alex took a deep breath after he left her and she took a seat in a big chair over by the door. She watched with a teary smile as Nate and Shane watched Haylee, who was in the midst of animatedly telling them a story.

She wished she could talk to Nate then as freely as Haylee was. She would tell him exactly how she felt: betrayed over when he chose Alison over her, unbearably hurt over how his saying that she didn't mean anything to him wouldn't leave her head, and terrified that they wouldn't ever be friends again.

That last though almost killed her.

Her tears finally beginning to spill over and her thoughts becoming too overwhelming for her to handle, Alex quickly stood up and headed for the door.

"Momma, where you going?" Haylee asked from her place in between Nate and Shane, her sweet voice stopping Alex. Alex didn't have to look to know that they were all watching her worriedly. She knew that all of them, even Haylee despite her attempts to hide everything from her, knew that something was wrong with her.

"Momma will be back in just a minute, baby. I'm just stepping outside," Alex replied without turning around, though it was clear she was crying by the way her voice cracked at the end. Alex didn't wait for a response after that. Instead, she left that room as quickly as she could and hurried down the hallway to the elevator at the end.

"Nate, go after her! Damn it, she needs you!" Shane said back in the office, where Nate was just staring at the empty doorway, consumed with worry and guilt. In a breath, her stood up and ran out of the office and down the hallway, where the elevator doors were just beginning to close with Alex behind them. He reached them and got inside just in time.

Alex shot him a tired look. "What are you doing here, Nate?" she asked him, irritated and tears still falling slowly from her eyes. Nate sighed, then stepped closer to her and placed one hand slowly on her bruise. She winced in pain, but didn't make a move to stop him.

"Where did the bruise come from, Allie? And don't try to tell me that it's not important, because it is," Nate asked her, care flooding his eyes. He didn't want to believe that it was Alison who was hurting Alex, who bruised her and pushed Haylee down. He didn't want to believe it, and yet all of the signs were pointing to her. Everything Shane told him made sense to him now. Alex wouldn't lie to him.

"Don't pretend to care about me, Nate. You said yourself that I don't mean anything to you. Just leave me alone," Alex spat out, finally yanking away from him. Her voice sounded so tired and broken, and Nate hated the fact that it was his entire fault.

The elevator dinged as it reached the bottom floor, and just before the doors opened, Nate reached behind himself and punched the door that held the doors closed. They weren't going anywhere until her got the chance to make things right with her.

Nate ran one hand through his hair before he spoke again. "Was it Alison?" he asked her, feeling worse and worse the more tears leaked down Alex's cheeks.

"Why in the hell would I answer you? Just to get called a liar again? I can't take that again, Nate!" Alex snapped at him, then angrily reached a hand up and wiped her tears. She wished that they would just go away; she wished that her hurt would just go away.

"Alex, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I called you a liar. Hell, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I was wrong, and I…" Nate began his apology, but he was cut off by Alex.

"Why aren't these doors opening?" Alex interrupted him, just then realizing that the elevator wasn't taking them anywhere anymore.

Nate, so surprised by Alex's response, barely uttered out "What?" in response. Alex heaved another heavy sigh.

"The elevator stopped, you idiot!" Alex yelled, exasperated. Nate couldn't believe that either Alex hadn't heard the beginning of his apology or that she heard it and just chose to ignore it. He reached a hand out and gripped her on the shoulder.

"Damn it, Alex! I said that I was sorry! I'm sorry I didn't believe you, and I'm sorry I called you a liar. I'm sorry for saying Haylee was anything like her son of a bitch father, because she isn't anything like him! She's perfect. But, most of all, I'm so, so sorry that I said I didn't need you and that you don't mean anything to me. You mean the world to me, Allie, you have to know that!" Nate began his rant by yelling, but softened at the end, tears even filling his own eyes as tears streamed down Alex's cheeks.

"Are you going to break up with her?" Alex asked softly after he was done. She felt like her entire heart was bursting with joy after she heard Nate's apology, the words that she'd longed to hear for so long.

"Yes. God, yes! If that's what it will take to have you back in my life, I'll break up with her as soon as we get out of here. You mean more to me than Alison ever will, and I'm sorry that it took me this long to realize that," Nate replied as he removed his hand from Alex's shoulder and used it to push a stray strand of her out of her face.

"Oh, Nate," Alex said as she wrapped herself into his arms, getting the hug from him that she needed and soaking the shoulder of his shirt in her tears. She'd missed the smell of his cologne so much.

Nate wrapped his arms around her tightly, letting go of the button he'd been holding and never wanting to let go. He breathed in deeply, smelling her sweet scent of vanilla, something he'd missed, yet he hadn't been able to forget.

"I missed you so much," Alex cried as they finally released each other. She was smiling a huge smile, even laughing a little, as she wiped away her tears. She reached up then and wiped away the one tear that managed to escape from Nate's eye.

"I missed you too, Allie," he replied, and at that moment he realized just how much he had missed her. He felt whole now that everything was okay again.

"What do you say we go back up and get Haylee, and then I'll take you beautiful ladies to dinner? My treat," Nate asked Alex a second later, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with Alex. Alex smiled even more at that idea.

"That sounds wonderful, Nate," she replied. Nate grinned, then hit the third floor button and took Alex's hand into his own as the doors closed, and they began going back up.

_Late that night with Nate…._

After probably the best dinner he'd ever had with Alex and Haylee, stopping by Alex's house to see Mitchie's reaction to the fact that he and Alex were friends again, and swinging by Alison's house and breaking up with her, Nate was finally at home for the night. He had a smile on his face that felt like it would never leave. He was truly happy.

There was one thing bothering him, though. He couldn't get how beautiful Alex looked that night, even in just a simple t-shirt and jeans, out of his head. He thought she was most beautiful when she had been laughing at some joke with Haylee. She was more beautiful that night than he'd ever remembered her being. She was more than beautiful; she was stunning, sparkling. Perfect.

"What is wrong with me?" Nate muttered to himself as he continued to think about Alex. He'd never thought of her this much before. It was like she was completely taking control of all of his thoughts.

His thoughts went back to an evening a few weeks ago, when he was still staying at the Russos' house. He remembered how Shane had asked him if he liked Alex as more than a friend, how he had denied it even though he'd felt differently. He remembered the "Yes you do"s that had floated through his mind after he told himself that he didn't like Alex as more than a friend.

"Crap. I like Alex," Nate said aloud a few minutes later, the realization and shock finally hitting him.

**A/N: Andd, that's the end of this episode! How did y'all like it? I, personally, think that this was one of my very best episodes. (: **

**Again, I'm sorry for not being here with new episodes lately. I really am going to try and get better at that. I really hope you guys liked this episode, though!**

**Tell me what you thought about it! What you liked and even what you didn't like. Please Review! (:**

**I love you guys! God bless! – Jordan. (:**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

"_I've decided to sing in the school's talent show."_

…_._

"_Dude, why are you acting so weird out there? It's just Alex."_

…_._

"_You're really beautiful, you know that?"_

…_._

"_You like Momma? Like Cindewella and Pwrince Charwming?"_

…_._

"_You're delusional if you think you even have a chance with him again. The act is up, Alison. He knows every single thing you did, and he's not ever going to take you back."_

…_._

"_Happy Birthday, Haylee!"_


	14. Four Years of Haylee

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 13: Four Years of Haylee**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: You guys, I honestly do apologize for the super-ridiculously long wait. I'd explain to y'all why it's taken so long, but I really don't have a reason. I've just been lazy and slacking severely. But, I honestly missed y'all more than you could know, and I am back now. I love you guys soooooo much! 3**

**But, for the sake of it, I think I'll let y'all know EVERYTHING that's been going on with me since I last updated. Here goes: I quit choir (even though I love music almost as much as I love writing) because it was becoming too overwhelming with everything else I had going on, I have been having severe nerve pain in my left lower back/hip (going to start physical therapy next Monday, I believe), my already-messed-up jaw has been causing me more pain (I can't get it fixed till Summertime), I TURNED 17 (!), I learned how to curl my own hair, I also learned how to straighten my own hair, I started a blog (the link to it is on my page, follow me!), I got an offer from a publishing company to publish a children's book I wrote (I had to turn it down, though... It was very expensive.. :( ), I passed Trigonometry with a 90 average, I learned how to give effective speeches (Thank-you Oral Communications and Public Speaking), I wrote a 10-page research paper connecting Zora Neale Hurtson's literature to the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement in the South (It was one of my very best papers), I won a debate, I cleaned my room (finally), I read ****The Great Gatsby**** (The movie comes out in theaters on May 10th... I'm SO excited!) , I read ****The Hunger Games**** trilogy, I watched Breaking Dawn Part 2 (EPIC), I became obsessed with coloring (you know..crayons, coloring books), my sweet little bunny rabbit died (Shadow), and two of my friends died (The sweetest boy I've ever known and the strongest girl I've ever met... both elevator buddies of mine... I miss them very much).**

**There has just been so much that it hasn't been possible for me to update before now. I'm sorry. **

**Also, follow me on www . ask . fm (without the spaces) ! My username is jordanclaire1 . Ask me questions! :)**

**Written-in-hearts: **Thank-you for your very sweet review! I am glad you love Haylee so much. She is meant to be the one light spot, when everything else is going wrong; those were my intentions. And, I am happy that you are happy about Nate and Alex working thhings out. I figured that it was about time; it was hard for me to write them angry at each other. Thank-you for your review! And, I hope you enjoy this episode! :)

**musicluvr10: **Aw, thank-you for your kind review. It made me smile so much. :) I am sorry it has taken me this long to update, but, as you can read fromt he author's note, I've had a lot going on. I am happy about the way things are going too. To me, Alex and Nate just belong together. :) I really hope you enjoy this episode as much as you enjoyed the last one. :)

**Brittana Forever: **Thank-you so much! I love to read your reviews; they just make me smile so much. :) I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I really hope you enjoy this episode as much as you liked the last one! :)

**CeaseFireOne: **Haha, I am glad that you are so happy! I agree, they are finally putting those good ole brains God blessed them with to work. Thank-you for your sweet review, and I hope you like this episode! :)

**strawbellastarr: **I'm glad that you liked that episode so much! Thank-you for your review! I hope you like this episode too! :)

**Random-Rebecca: **Well, thank-you. I am glad that you like it! I really hope you like this episode too! :)

**Seoul Sweetheart: **I am so happy for the new reader! I am glad that you liked it so much! I really hope you enjoy this episode as well! :)

**THANK YOU for your sweet words and your endless supply of patience. I love you guys so much, and I thank God for you every single day. :) **

**Disclaimer: It really depresses me when I have to write that I don't own Camp Rock (1 or 2) or Wizards of Waverly Place on every episode. But, I don't. And, chances are, I never will. I do, however, own the adorable Haylee Elle Russo. :)**

**STARTING STORY:**

"Hey, I'm headed over to Allie's to help set up for Haylee's party. You wanna come?" Nate asked his brother, who was currently standing in his boxers, half-asleep, trying to figure out the new coffee maker his parents bought for the kitchen. He had been up late talking to Mitchie on the phone the night before. Mitchie was overcome with excitement about Alex and Nate making up, Nate had overheard at two in the morning.

"Nah, I'll be over there later. Mitch already asked to see me before the party, anyway," Shane replied, sounding distracted as he began squinting at the instructions for the coffee maker. Nate nodded at him and began walking to the door. As a second thought, he took a step back and looked at Shane.

"You know, you might get further with that if you weren't holding the instructions upside down," Nate said with a smirk before he headed off again.

"Why did we get rid of the old coffee maker?" he heard Shane grumble as the door closed behind him. He chuckled and made his way to his truck. Getting in and starting it, he began to smile even more. This was the first time in weeks he was going to be spending his day with his two favorite ladies: Alex and Haylee. And, he thought, he'd be able to see them any day he wanted after that too.

That thought brought an even bigger smile to his face. Just thinking about Alex, about how beautiful she is, about what a great mother she is, about just how wonderful she is, made him get an excited tickle in his stomach. He loved hanging out with her.

He wanted to hang out with her for his whole life.

Nate shook his head as that thought entered his mind. "Man, I've got to snap out of it," he muttered as he reached over and punched a button to turn the radio on.

Alex wasn't ready for him to make that kind of move. Hell, her rapist just got put into prison after trying to rape her again and she just got her child back at home with her. She didn't need anything drastic to happen anytime soon. She needed normalcy for a while, and Nate wasn't about to wreck that for her.

"We're just friends... And, that's all we need to be," Nate muttered to himself as he pulled into Alex's driveway and parked his truck. Once he was stopped, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. His heart didn't like the sound of just being friends with Alex. It wanted more.

_With Alex..._

"Momma! Momma! Momma!" little Haylee Elle squealed as she tugged on the legs of Alex's light blue skinny jeans, her long wild curls bouncing as she did so.

Alex, who was busy going over a checklist for Haylee's birthday party in just a few hours, looked down at her almost-four-year-old with a smile. She wouldn't be four until eight o'clock that night, officially. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked, setting her pen down and pulling Haylee up into her lap.

"It's my bwirthday!" Haylee replied, making Alex smile. It was hard for Alex to believe that her sweet little girl was four years old already. To her, it felt like it was just yesterday that she was getting up in the middle of the night to give her crying baby a bottle.

In fact, she remembered her first night home with Haylee like it was yesterday...

_"Shh. Shh. Please stop crying, my sweet baby. Please," 15 year old Alex whispered into her newborn daughter's ear as she rocked her back and forth on her shoulder, shedding some tears of exhaustion herself. It was the very first night at home with Haylee, and things were not going smoothly. Alex wanted her mom, but her mom said that she was not going to step in on the first night, that Alex and her baby needed to bond._

_"Oh, Haylee Elle. I know. Momma knows how scary this must be for you. You're suddenly in a whole new world that you don't know anything about, and it is scary. But, you know what? Momma made it through it, and you're going to too. Everything's okay, my sweet baby. Momma isn't going to let anything hurt you," Alex murmured to her daughter, forcing her eyelids to stay open._

_Haylee seemed to quieten down as Alex talked to her, so Alex continued._

_"Nine months ago, I was in a world I no longer understood. I bet you didn't know that, did you? Everything was changing. I was a baby, and I was going to have a baby. It was so scary, my sweet Haylee Elle. But, my Momma promised me that I was going to get through it, and that everything was going to be okay. Now, I'm promising you that you are going to get through it, and that you are going to be okay. I love you, my angel," Alex whispered, then kissed Haylee's cheek. She lowered her down into her arms and cradled her close to her heart, the two heart beats creating Alex's favorite harmony. _

_Alex began to rub her thumb lightly across little Haylee's face. She ran it over her light evebrows, and then over her tiny button nose. She softly rubbed it across Haylee's eyes, making them close. When she moved her thumb, Haylee's eyes stayed shut. Alex watched as Haylee's chest rose and fell in a steady pattern. She watched as the expression on her sweet daughter's face changed over and over again, her dreams changing like the seasons. She softly ran her thumb over Haylee's tiny brown curls._

_At that very moment, Alex felt consumed with love. She loved her baby girl so much that it almost wasn't enough. She was holding Haylee close, but she wanted to hold her closer and closer and never let go. She suddenly understood wanting to do anything and everything to protect her little girl. She finally understood having one little person that she would give up her entire life for._

_She finally understood the meaning of love._

_"I love you so much, my sweet Haylee Elle. So, so much," Alex whispered, as her words fell from her lips and her eyelids began to close..._

And now, that same baby would be starting kindergarten the very next year. It was all happening too fast in Alex's opinion.

"It is, isn't it, Ms. Four-year-old?" Alex replied with a grin as she pushed Haylee's curls back behind her ears. Haylee looked at her excitedly.

"Tell me the storwy again!" Haylee demanded sweetly, making Alex laugh. She was feeling much happier now that everything was settled between her and Nate. Knowing that their fighting was over made her giggles and smiles come a million times easier.

"Well," Alex started, rubbing her thumb softly across Haylee's cheek, "it all happened almost five years ago. One day, I wasn't feeling very much like myself, and so I took a test, " Alex started, but was interrupted by Haylee.

"Did you study?" Haylee asked innocently, making Alex smile.

"You could say that I studied a little bit beforehand. And, I passed that test with flying colors. I was so excited to find out that I was going to have a baby girl! I immediately began searching for baby girl names and buying stuff for my baby girl," Alex said, filling in the awful feeling that overcame her when she found out she was pregnant with Kevin's baby with the story of the pregnancy she wished she'd had, the only version of the story Haylee ever needed to hear.

"Now, flash-forward nine months. I was as big as a hot air balloon, and past ready to pop. It was over a week past the day my baby girl was supposed to come, but she just wasn't ready to come out and meet me yet, I guess. I was in the middle of frying up a grilled cheese sandwich for myself, when my baby girl decided it was time to get out of my tummy. So, Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Mitchie rushed me to the hospital. And, boom!" Alex said, suddenly reaching down and tickling Haylee, laughing when she began to giggle.

"Three hours later, I was looking into the eyes of my precious baby girl. She was so perfect, but I didn't have any idea what I was going to call her. I'd thought about Emilee, but baby girl didn't feel like an Emilee. So, then I thought about Hayden. But, my baby girl didn't feel like a Hayden either. My baby girl needed a more special name, a name that described her perfectly. So, I told your Aunt Mitchie about my problem, and she suggested that I called my precious baby girl Haylee," Alex was saying, when Haylee interrupted.

"Me!" she squealed, pointing to herself as she did so. Alex laughed at her.

"It was you, wasn't it? I looked into the eyes of my Haylee Elle Russo and realized that there wasn't anything more precious in this world than my Haylee Elle. And, now, four years later, my Haylee Elle is still the most precious thing in the entire world," Alex finished, smiling when Haylee began to giggle. Haylee always loved the ending of her story the most. She reached up and gave Alex a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Momma," Haylee said. Alex wrapped her arms around Haylee and hugged her tight.

"I love you too, my precious Haylee Elle," Alex replied, then kissed the top of Haylee's head. She felt like her heart started to glow every time she heard those words from her sweet girl. At that moment, she was reminded of the first time she heard those words come out of Haylee's mouth...

_"There you go, my sweet girl," 16, almost 17, year old Alex said as she placed a plate holding a heart-shaped grilled cheese in front of Haylee's chair at the kitchen table. It was around noon, and 2 year old Haylee had been begging for a heart-shaped grilled cheese all morning._

_Alex laughed as Haylee's eyes lit up and she began to eat. She looked too precious with her curly hair up in pig-tails. Alex leaned down and kissed the top of her head._

_"I love you, Haybear," Alex said, as she turned and started back to find something for herself to eat. She was thinking about maybe a salad, or some leftover lasagna from the night before._

_"Wove you," Haylee said, making Alex stop dead in her tracks. She quickly turned around and crouched down next to Haylee's chair. She was smiling from ear to ear._

_"What did you say, baby?" Alex asked, her smiling breaking to the surface. Haylee turned and looked in the eyes identical to her own._

_"Wove you! Wove you, wove you, wove you!" Haylee replied, repeating her words over and over and giggling delightedly. Alex let out her smile that almost split her face in two. She threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly. Her heart felt swollen with love._

_"Oh, my little Haylee. Momma loves you too! More than anything else in this world, baby girl," Alex replied, and she felt tears of happiness stinging the backs of her eyes. Haylee just continued to giggle delightedly when Alex let her go._

_"Wove you, wove you, wove you!" Haylee repeated in a sing-song voice. Alex felt like she could hear those words in that voice repeatedly for the rest of her life. She had never been so proud of her sweet girl._

Alex smiled as she recalled that memory, one of her most favorite memories during her four years with Haylee.

After a moment of silence, Haylee spoke up again.

"When does my pwarty start, Momma?" Haylee asked, making Alex laugh. It amazed Alex how easily Haylee could bounce from one thing to another. It reminded her of herself, before everything that happened with Kevin.

"Who said something about a party?" Nate asked, entering the kitchen at that moment and setting his keys down on the table next to Alex's checklist. He kissed the top of Alex's head, then lifted Haylee into his arms and kissed her cheek, "Happy Birthday, Haylee!"

"Me! Me! I'm having a pwarty!" little Haylee answered with giggles.

Nate looked at her. "Are you sure about that? I thought your party was cancelled," he said, faking a confused expression. Haylee's excitement didn't waver a bit, though. She gave Nate a famous Alex Russo stare.

"You can't twrick me. Momma said so," Haylee declared, making Alex laugh as she stood up and pulled Haylee into her own arms.

"She's four years old now, Nate. She's way too smart for your tricks," Alex said to Nate with a smile and a wink. He chuckled at her. Alex then kissed Haylee's forehead and set her on the ground.

"Will you go ask Aunt Mitchie if she's ready to start setting up for your party, Haybear? " Alex asked Haylee, who nodded and ran upstairs. Alex smiled after her little girl, then looked over at Nate, who was watching her with a smile on his face. She grinned at him.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked him as she ran a hand through her hair. He smiled even more at her, a far away look in his eyes.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" he asked, the words slipping from his mouth before he thought about what he'd said. His cheeks immediately flushed a light pink, and he focused his attention on his shoes, anything to keep from meeting her gaze. Alex's cheeks were a light pink color too.

"Well, thank-you Nate. You're pretty handsome yourself," she replied before she turned and awkwardly picked up the checklist she'd been working on. She pretended to be going over it, while she was really trying to figure out what Nate was doing.

Nate sighed quietly at himself. _You're so stupid. Why did you have to go and make her feel all uncomfortable?_ he thought as what he said and Alex's reaction raced through his mind.

"So, did I tell you my news?" Alex asked him after a beat of awkward silence between the two. Frankly, it was too much awkwardness for her to handle. Nate jerked his head up and furrowed his eyebrows at her.

"What news?" he asked, glad to be talking normally again. Alex smiled at him.

"I've decided to sing in the school's talent show," Alex replied casually, laughing as she watched Nate's face light up.

"That's great, Allie! I'm so proud of you," he replied happily as he pulled her into a hug. Alex smiled even more into the familiar smell of orange bodywash and Nate's cologne.

"When did you decide this?" Nate asked her as they pulled apart.

"Just last night, when I was singing Haylee to sleep. She told me that the only thing she wanted for her birthday was to watch me sing in the talent show with Mitchie. I couldn't say no to her," Alex replied with a soft smile as she thought about her sweet little girl. Nate loved the look Alex got in her eyes when she was talking about Haylee; a look of love in its purest form.

Before he could ask her anything else, Mitchie and Haylee walked into the room. Mitchie had Haylee balanced on her hip, and Haylee was grinning.

"Good morning, Nathaniel. Where is my lovely boyfriend this morning?" Mitchie asked as she carried Haylee over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of water for herself and a juicebox for Haylee.

"He was losing a fight with the new coffee maker when I left a while ago. He said he'd be over in a while, though," Nate replied with a smirk as he remembered Shane struggling with the coffee maker. Mitchie rolled her eyes playfully and set Haylee down on the floor beside her. Alex then walked into the center of them and clapped her hands together.

"Okay guys, there are three hours before Haylee's friends start showing up, and we have a lot to do. So Nate, you start hanging up streamers and blowing up balloons in the backyard. Mitchie, you head up to my room and start wrapping the presents. And, Haylee and I will start getting the food together," Alex said as she scooped Haylee up into her arms and balanced her on her hip. Nate nodded in response.

"Aye Aye, captain," Mitchie said in a joking tone, before she headed back upstairs. Alex looked at Haylee.

"You ready to start making some cookies and cupcakes for your friends?" Alex asked her, laughing when Haylee's eyes lit up at the mere sound of sugar.

Four hours later, Haylee's party was in full swing, complete with musical chairs and about twelve four year olds hyped up on way too much sugar running like crazy in the backyard. Alex and Mitchie were sitting with Nate and Shane on patio chairs watching to make sure nothing happened when Max wandered up to them from inside.

"Yo Alex, there's some chick at the door for you," he said with a mouth full of chocolate-chip cookie.

"Ew, Max, chew with your mouth closed!" Mitchie complained. Snickering to herself, Alex stood up and strolled back through the house and to the front door. Who she saw, though, made the smile completely drop from her face.

"What do you want, Alison? I'm kind of busy," Alex asked in a cold tone, wanting nothing more than to slam the door in her face and go back to Haylee's party. Alison glared at her.

"I want Nate back, and you are going to give him to me," Alison declared, crossing her arms. Alex rolled her eyes at her. She couldn't believe the nerve of this girl. Honestly, she was just making herself look desperate.

She rolled her eyes at her, "You're delusional if you think you even have a chance with him again. The act is up, Alison. He knows every single thing you did, and he's not ever going to take you back." Alison uncrossed her arms and took a step closer to Alex, pointing a finger at her.

"Listen, bitch. You took my Nate away from me, and I demand him back. I don't know who you think you are..." Alison started, sounding like she'd been practicing in front of the mirror, but she was cut off by Alex, who slapped her finger away.

"I don't know who you think _you_ are. First of all, don't point to me like I'm a child. I have a child, and I will not be treated like one. Secondly, Nate isn't an object that can just be stolen and passed back and forth between people. He is a person, a person who is capable of making his own decisions. He has obviously decided that you are bad news, and that's not my problem," Alex responded, becoming strangely angry and defensive at how Alison was dehumanizing Nate.

"I don't even know why you're trying so hard. It's not like Nate would ever want to be tied down with a little brat and her clingy mother when he has the option to do so much better," Alison said with a sickly-sweet smile. Alex wanted to punch her.

"Okay, look. I haven't done a damn thing to you, and, for that matter, neither has my daughter. So, why don't you just leave us alone? And, although it is absolutely none of your business, I don't want anything from Nate but his friendship, and that's all he wants from me in return. He knows that. If he wanted to be with you, he would. So, just give up already," Alex retorted, straining to keep her voice from rising. She couldn't believe that Alison had the nerve to come and talk to her like that at her own house, and on Haylee's birthday nonetheless.

"Don't pretend to be so naive. I've seen the way Nate looks at you and your kid, like y'all are something magical. And, I won't have it. Nate and I belong together, and I will not have some attention-seeking whore stealing him from me," Alison said in a nasty tone, rolling her eyes as she finished. Alex was speechless. She was an attention-seeking whore? Since when?

"You know, I've had enough of this. Nate is a big boy, and he makes his own decisions. He obviously decided that you were bad for him, and praise him for finally seeing things straight. Now, I am going to go back inside to my daughter's party. Feel free to sit out here and whine to whoever will listen; I really don't care. Just leave me and my daughter alone," Alex said, then stepped back inside and slammed the door behind her before Alison could come up with some kind of response. Alex let out a sigh she'd been holding throughout her entire conversation with Alison, then shook her head and headed back out to the back patio to join her friends.

As she passed by the living room, she saw Nate standing by the mantle, looking at the pictures that decorated the top of it. She curiously raised an eyebrow, then walked up to him.

"Why are you in here by yourself? The party's out back," Alex asked with a grin as she joined him. She smiled at the picture he was looking at; one of she and Haylee both covered from head to toe in flour. She remembered that as if it was yesterday...

_"Momma, what doing?" barely-two-year-old Haylee asked as she toddled into the kitchen, where Alex was standing in front of the counter scrunching her eyes at a recipe book. She turned when she heard Haylee's voice and smiled._

_"I am making a birthday cake for Grandma. Today is her birthday," Alex replied with a smile. Haylee had a thoughtful look on her face._

_"I help?" she asked with an earnest look of curiosity. Alex grinned at her sweet little girl._

_"Of course you can, baby! Come here," Alex said. Haylee walked up to her, and Alex picked her up and set her on the counter next to the mixing bowl. She then turned her attention back to the cookbook. She was so focused on the recipe that she jumped in surprise when her face was hit with a splash of flour. She dropped her jaw in shock and turned to Haylee, who was giggling. Alex couldn't help but smile at her._

_"Haylee! Did you throw flour at Momma?" Alex asked in mock sternness. Haylee couldn't stop giggling._

_"Momma look funny!" she cried, then burst into another fit of giggles. Alex smiled, then grabbed a handful of flour herself and threw it in Haylee's face. Haylee giggled even louder as she reached her tiny hand into the flour and threw more at Alex. _

_Five minutes later, both Haylee and Alex were covered from head to toe in flour, and the bag it was originally in was completely empty._

_"What are you girls doing?" Mrs. Russo asked from the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and a smile playing on her lips. Both Haylee and Alex turned just in time to see Mrs. Russo breaking into laughter._

_"We were trying to make a cake for your birthday," Alex said to Mrs. Russo, grinning at Haylee, who was now in her arms. _

_"Well, it looks like you may have missed the bowl just a bit," Mrs. Russo noted as she set her purse down on a clean counter._

_"We make mess, Gwandma!" Haylee squealed, making both Alex and Mrs. Russo laugh._

_"You did, didn't you? Oh, I have to get a picture of you two like that," Mrs. Russo said, then turned and dug through her purse for the camera. A minute later, she was standing in front of the girls with her camera in hand._

_"Alright, say cheese!" Mrs. Russo said. Both Haylee and Alex grinned cheesily. That moment, Alex knew that this would be a memory she would never forget. She knew this was another good memory to help push the bad ones farther away._

"I'm just thinking, that's all," Nate replied as he turned and smiled at Alex. Alex frowned, seeing that something was bothering him by the look in his eyes. His smile didn't quite reach them.

"About what?" Alex asked, watching him as he fixed his gaze on another picture, one of Haylee with pink icing all over her face on her first birthday.

"I just... I hate that I wasn't here to make these memories with you. I should have been. I shouldn't have been such a jerk to you," he replied, tearing his eyes off of the picture and meeting Alex's eyes. Alex's heart clenched when she saw Nate's eyes drowning in guilt. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. I've already forgiven you for everything. Don't be so hard on yourself. You were just a kid," Alex replied, wondering what suddenly brought this on. Nate shook his head at Alex.

"No, it's not okay. I could have said no to those guys who wanted me to be mean to you. I could have saved our friendship. Then, we never would have fought. Kevin would have never gotten to you, and, even if he did, you wouldn't have had to suffer through everything by yourself. It's my fault, Allie," Nate replied, his voice rising and catching as he became angrier and angrier at himself. Alex furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him firmly in his eyes.

"Nate, not a single thing that happened with Kevin is your fault. Kevin is an awful human being, and I just happened to be the one to fall for his trap. It is not your fault. And, I don't want to hear you talking like that again," Alex replied firmly as tears stung the back of her eyes. She then wrapped her arms around Nate and let a breath out when she felt his arms wrap tightly around her too.

"I just... I love you so much, Allie. I hate it that I wasn't here for you through all the shit Kevin put you through. I care about you so damn much," Nate whispered as he hugged Alex tightly. He didn't know what suddenly brought on his feeling of guilt, but it just completely consumed him all of a sudden. He blamed himself for everything that happened with Kevin, because he hadn't been there to even attempt to stop it. He couldn't help but feel like he could have done something to save her, to save the girl he loves more than anything.

Alex felt a few tears slip out of the corner of her eyes. Her heart broke for Nate. Of course she went through some awful things, but Nate wasn't to blame for any of it.

"I love you too, Nate. You're here now, and that's all that matters," she whispered back as she leaned her head against his chest. She felt safe in his arms.

When they pulled apart, Alex sank down to the carpet and crossed her legs. She patted the space next to her, and Nate smiled a little and sat down right next to her. She didn't notice when Nate took her hand into his, but he noticed when she laid her head down on his shoulder. He loved the smell of strawberries and cream that came from her shampoo.

"So, tell me what you want to know. Any memory. I'll catch you up, and it'll be like you were there with me," Alex said to Nate with a soft smile. Nate thought for a minute before answering.

"Her first word. What was Haylee's first word?" Nate asked as he leaned back and rested his back against the fireplace. A smile grew on Alex's face as she recalled that memory. She always smiled when Haylee was on her mind, Nate noticed. It was one of his favorite things about her.

"Her first word was Momma. It was funny, though. The entire week before she finally said it, I'd been practically begging her to say it, and she just stayed silent. So, I gave up. And then, out of the blue, she said it all on her own while I was giving her her bath before bed one night. She's always been like that, though; wanting to do things on her own terms, not when everyone else expects her to do them," Alex replied with a grin. She loved talking about her sweet little girl.

Nate was quiet for a few minutes, guilt eating him up again, before he spoke again.

"Did I hurt you when I quit being friends with you?" he asked her quietly, wanting to know the answer and not wanting to know the answer at the same time. He heard Alex sigh a little, and she picked her head up and looked at him.

"Nate..." she started to protest, but he stopped her with the look in his eyes. He needed to know the answer.

"Please, Allie. Just answer me," he pleaded quietly. Alex sighed a little before pulling her knees up to her chest and laying her head down on them, not looking at Nate.

"When you started being mean to me, I was more confused than I was hurt. I couldn't figure out what I'd done to make you mad at me. I couldn't figure out what was so wrong with me that you didn't want to be my friend anymore. But, after I ran the last time we'd hung out through my head a million times, analyzed everything I'd said, everything you'd said, I couldn't come up with anything. That's when it all started to hurt. It was the second worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life," Alex replied truthfully, knowing that if she had lied it Nate would be able to tell, and it would only make Nate feel worse.

Nate didn't have to ask to know what the first worst pain she'd ever felt was. It nearly killed him to know that he'd caused her the worst pain next to Kevin raping her. He began to rub circles on her hand with his thumb.

"It's not your fault that Bella died. I know I told you that it was, but it's not," he said in barely a whisper. He had never actually told her that since they'd become friends again. It just never seemed like the right thing to bring up. But, Nate knew that Alex deserved to hear it.

"She would have been so proud of Haylee," Alex whispered, sniffling softly. Nate reached over and pulled Alex so that she was leaning on his chest again. He ran his hands through her soft black hair.

"I'm sorry, Allie," he whispered into the scent of strawberries and cream. He wanted to be able to fit every single awful thing he'd ever done to her into those three words, but there just didn't seem to be enough room.

"I already told you that it was okay," she replied in a soft voice. He was quiet for a minute, and he was about to say something else, when Shane walked in the room just before he could. Alex picked her head up and smiled at him. She quickly reached a hand up and wiped away her tears.

"Lexie, your little birthday girl is looking for you out there. She says that you're the only one who knows how to scoop her ice-cream," Shane said to her with a grin. Alex laughed at him.

"I guess I'd better go, then," she said, then hugged Nate before she stood up and headed for the back patio. Nate then stood up too and began heading in the same direction, but Shane stopped him.

"Dude, why were you acting so weird just then? It's just Alex," Shane asked, his eyebrow cocked in curiosity. Nate put on a fake oblivious expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nate lied. He realized that he had not been acting normally today. But, in his defense, his brain wasn't thinking normally about Alex today either.

"You do know what I'm talking about. You're not acting like yourself. What's up with you?" Shane asked, a suspicious look shadowing his features. Nate sighed and tried to leave, but Shane stood in the way.

"Dude, I'm your brother. You can tell me what's bothering you," Shane told him in a serious voice, his expression turning to concern. What was Nate hiding? Nate sighed and looked around the room for a minute before looking Shane in the eyes. He realized he had no choice but to tell Shane the truth.

"You can't tell anybody. You swear?" he asked his brother, feeling uncomfortable and a bit vulnerable exposing his feelings. He didn't like to feel vulnerable; he liked to feel strong and in control. Unfortunately, in love, nobody is in control.

"I swear, man. What's up?" Shane replied. Suspense was thick in the air around them while Nate tried to think of how to say what he was thinking.

"I... I kind of, you know, like... like Allie," Nate finally got out, not meeting Shane's eyes. On the one hand, he felt like a million tons had been lifted off his shoulders. On the other hand, he felt even more vulnerable.

It took Shane a minute to realize what his brother had just told him. Of course Nate liked Alex. Shane had known that Alex and his brother were meant to be together ever since they were five years old and met each other at the neighborhood playground, when Alex couldn't make the sand shape into a castle and Nate showed her how. To Shane, it had only ever been a question of when Nate or Alex would realize it.

"That's great, Nate. So, why don't you tell her?" Shane queried, not able to think of a single reason Nate would keep this to himself. Nate sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't, Shane. Alex has been through hell and back these past few weeks, and she needs time to relax and get things back to normal. I can't put more pressure on her and tell her that her best friend is in love with her. That's the last thing she needs right now," Nate said frustratedly, his hopes crushing more the more he thought about everything.

What if Alex didn't like him back? He couldn't risk her friendship again, when it was the most important thing in the world to him. It would be like betting his life on the fact that tomorrow would come, when nobody was certain that it actually would.

"How do you know that telling her won't help to put her life back together, if you haven't tried? Look, I felt the same way you do now when I realized that I liked Mitchie. I was worried that I would wreck our friendship if I told her. But, eventually, I did tell her. And, it turned out to be the best decision I've ever made," Shane said with an eyebrow raised. Nate didn't have the chance to respond, though, because Mitchie walked in at that moment. She grinned at the two boys.

"What are y'all doing in here? Haylee's about to blow out her candles," Mitchie asked them. Shane pat Nate on the back, then looked at Mitchie.

"We were just cooling off inside for a few minutes. We'll be right out there," Shane replied. Mitchie nodded, then headed back outside. Shane then turned back to Nate.

"I know that it seems next to impossible right now, but you have to tell her, man. You'll miss out on the best times of your life if you don't," Shane said to his brother, before heading outside. Nate sighed and ran a hand through his hair once Shane left.

Shane was right. He _knew_ Shane was right. He couldn't hide his feelings forever; he might as well die if he did that, because he'd never fully be happy.

"Stupid feelings, ruining everything," Nate muttered to himself as he made his way back outside.

_A few hours later, at about 9:00 pm..._

The party ended about three hours ago, and everything was, for the most part, cleaned up. Haylee just had her bath, and she is now in her bed while Alex is tucking her in.

"So, how does it feel to be four years old, my sweet Haylee?" Alex asked as she pulled the covers up to Haylee's chin. Haylee grinned at her Momma.

"It feels great!" Haylee replied with a big smile. Alex grinned at her and kissed her nose.

"Did you have fun with all of your friends today?" Alex asked as she finished tucking Haylee in. She then squatted down beside Haylee's bed. Haylee nodded her head energetically.

"Wots of fun!" Haylee replied excitedly. Alex laughed again and reached up and rubbed her thumb over Haylee's cheek, like she used to when Haylee was just a tiny baby, when she needed her for everything, and vice versa.

"Can Nate tuck me in too?" Haylee asked her Momma a minute later. Alex smiled at her sweet girl, then stood up.

"He sure can. I'll go get him, sweetie. I love you," Alex said softly. Haylee smiled at Alex.

"Love you too," she replied. Alex smiled again, then turned and walked out of the room. She found Nate in her room looking through her elaborate collection of CDs. He turned when he heard her enter the room. She grinned at him and flopped onto her bed.

"The birthday princess wants you to go tuck her in," Alex said to Nate with a grin. A smile made its way onto his face, and he put down the CD he had been looking at.

"Alright. I'll be right back then," he replied, then began walking down the hall to Haylee's bedroom. He still felt conflicted with his feelings and the advice Shane had given him. Somehow, his head and Shane's words weren't meshing. With a sigh, Nate walked into Haylee's room and over to her. He squatted down beside her bed. Haylee looked at him for a second before frowning.

"What wrong, Nate?" she asked him, her entire face creased in concern. Maybe he wasn't hiding his feelings as well as he thought he had been.

He didn't know why he said what he said next. Maybe it was because he didn't feel right lying to a little girl who trusted him so much. Or, maybe it was because he needed to talk to somebody who wasn't going to force their opinion on him. Whatever the reason, though, Nate had decided to let his feelings out.

"I like your Momma, Haylee. I like her so much; so much more than I probably should. And, I don't know what to do about it," Nate replied to the worried little girl. He watched her face scrunch into confusion as she thought about what he just told her. She was adorable, so much like Alex.

"You like Momma? Like Cindewella and Pwrince Charwming?" she asked, trying to sort things out in her four-year-old brain. Nate smiled at her comparison and nodded.

"That's right. Just like Cinderella and Prince Charming," he replied. Haylee's eyes brightened in enlightenment. She looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Cindewella and Pwrince Charwming was together fowrever," Haylee replied, getting excited at the thought of Nate and her Momma being together forever. Nate chuckled. He liked the idea of being with Alex forever.

"Yes, they were. But, listen, you can't tell your Momma any of the things I just told you. You have to pinky promise me that you won't," Nate said, holding his pinky out for Haylee to take. She looked as if she was considering it for a second, before she reached her tiny pinky finger out and linked it with Nate's. Nate grinned at her.

"I love you Haylee," he said to the little girl who just let out a huge yawn. She smiled at him sleepily.

"Love you too, Nate. Evewything will be otay," Haylee said. Nate smiled and leaned over to kiss Haylee's cheek. He then stood up and left her room, turning the light off behind him. He continued down the hall then back into Alex's room. Alex, who was sprawled across her bed with a book in her hand, sat up and smiled when Nate walked in. He went and sat down beside her.

"Are you feeling better now?" Alex asked him, concern laced through her voice. She had never seen Nate as upset as he had been earlier, and she was worried about him.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I don't know what that was all about earlier. I'm sorry for scaring you," he said to her with a reassuring smile. She smiled back and put her hand on top of his.

"It was no problem. I'm just glad that you're okay," she said. The two fell into silence for a while. It was an awkward silence, but a comfortable one where words simply were not needed.

"So, you never told me what you're planning to sing in the talent show. Is it going to be an Alex Russo original?" Nate asked with a grin. Alex's cheeks flushed a light pink.

"I haven't exactly decided yet. I have it narrowed down between two songs. And yes, they're both Alex Russo originals," Alex replied, smiling softly. Nate looked at her for a second, then he glanced around her room. His eyes landed on her purple notebook that was peaking out from underneath her pillow. She noticed what he was looking at just a second too late, as he quickly reached over and snatched it up.

"Nate, put it down," Alex said slowly, talking to Nate like she sometimes talked to Haylee. He smiled at her teasingly and opened the notebook.

"Which two are you trying to decide between?" he asked her, thumbing through her many pages of songs. She tried to snatch it away, but he just held it out of her reach. She sighed.

"Nate..." she whined, wanting desperately for him to put her notebook down. He looked over and smiled at her.

"Come on, Allie. Just tell me what the songs are. I'll help you decide," he said to her, his voice soft. He offered the notebook to her. The two stared at each other for a few solid seconds, before she broke and took the notebook with a sigh. She flipped through some pages before she stopped at one. She handed it over to Nate.

"This is the first one. It's called 'Tied Together With A Smile'. I wrote it just after Haylee was born," Alex said to Nate. He scanned the page, feeling his heart soften at the beautiful words that held such pain behind them. He nodded and passed the notebook back over to Alex. She flipped through a few more pages before she stopped at another one. She handed it back to Nate.

"This one is called 'Iris'. It's my favorite," Alex said softly as she watched Nate scan the page of writing. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He couldn't believe that anyone could write with such perfection, such conviction, such brutal honesty. This was the one. He could feel it.

"This is it. This is the one. The other one is good, but this is the one," Nate said to Alex, awe filling his eyes. Alex smiled a little and took the notebook from him. She closed it gently and looked at him.

"Okay. I'll sing this one. Thanks for helping me choose," she said as she placed the notebook back underneath her pillow. When she turned back to Nate, he was staring at her as if he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. She scrunched up her eyebrows as she tried to place his thoughts by the look in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked him, feeling a bit uneasy. Was there something in her teeth? He just shook his head.

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go. He wanted to remind her on a daily basis of how beautiful she was. He wanted her to know that he loved her more than anything else. He loved her. He loved her so damn much, and he wanted to tell her.

But, of course he didn't.

He couldn't.

**A/N: Alright, that's it. I hope that this long update makes up for the lack of updating lately. I'm sorry again.**

**So, what is going to happen between Nate and Alex? Will he ever tell her? Will she figure it out? You'll have to keep reading to find out!**

**I will try and update sooner this time. I promise.**

**I love you guys. God bless you. **

**PLEASE REVIEW. :)**

**xoxo - Jordan. :)**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode...**

_"I just don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can have his baby or not,"_

_..._

_"And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am,"_

_..._

_"No, Allie. I like you. As more than a friend. And, I don't know how you feel, but I thought you should know how I feel,"_

_..._

_"Talk to him, Lexie! Talk to him and get everything straightened out, or you're going to lose him,"_

_..._

_"The thing is, Shane, Alex could tell me that she absolutely hates me, she could tell me that she doesn't want to be my friend anymore, she could even kill me, and I wouldn't love her any less,"_

_..._

_"Let's just try it out. Please,"_

**Looks like things are heating up... :)**


	15. Iris

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 14: Iris**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey guys! I feel awful for not updating in what seems like forever. So much has happened since the last time I updated. The most important thing? I graduated high school! I am so excited to start college in the fall, where I will be majoring in English. I have missed y'all more than you could know, and I fully intend to finish this story once and for all. I talked about a sequel once, and I am not sure if that will happen anymore… I will let y'all know as soon as I know. **

**Expect about 5-6 more episodes for this story. I don't want to continue to drag it out; I want to finish it for you guys. Thank-you all soooo much for your patience, encouragement, and support. I appreciate it more than you guys could ever know.**

**Seoul Sweetheart: **Thank-you for you review, though I feel awful for not updating in such a long time. I hope you are doing well! And, I hope that you enjoy this episode (and the rest of the story)!

**UnexperiencedWriter: **Thank-you so much! Don't scream though (you don't wanna alarm the neighbors). :) I apologize for taking such a long time with this chapter, though. I hope you realllyyy like this episode! P.S. I love your username, but remember that you don't have to be experienced to produce magic. :)

**Trying2StayHopeful: **Aww, I am so sorry for taking so long with this update! I hope you enjoy it, though, and thank-you for your review!

**Guest (1): **Here is the next chapter you asked for (even if it is a bit late)! I really hope you enjoy it!

**Guest (2): **I'm sorry for making you wait so long for this! Thank-you for your review, and I hope you enjoy this!

**Pumpkin-love33: **Thank-you for your review! Even though this took so long, I hope you still read and enjoy it! :)

**Again, thank-you all for your kind words, endless patience, and helpful encouragement. I appreciate you guys so much, and I love you tooo! I hope you ALL enjoy this episode!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock because if I did, I would be able to afford my college tuition without a problem. Also, I don't own 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls.**

**STARTING STORY:**

A week had passed since Haylee's birthday party. Alex never could have imagined the extent to which just a single week could rock her entire world. She didn't know what was right anymore: what she was supposed to feel, what she truly did feel. Nothing was the same, though she tried very hard to make Haylee believe that it was. She spent her time shuffling between her room, Haylee's room, and school, not wanting to risk the chance of having to talk to anybody. She couldn't talk to somebody else about what she was feeling when she really didn't even know herself.

So much had changed, though to an outside observer, it would seems as though nothing had changed at all. Alex felt conflicted and slightly broken. She didn't know what to do.

It all started the day after Haylee's party. Alex had woken Haylee up early, and the two went for breakfast at a new little coffee shop that had opened up in town…

"_Where are we going, Momma?" Haylee asked as she snuggled into Alex's side. Alex smiled at the little girl balanced on her hip as she locked her car and carried Haylee toward the entrance to Drip Drop, the new coffee shop._

"_We're just going to eat breakfast, baby. Aunt Mitchie told me that this place has those chocolate chip muffins you like so much," Alex replied as she pulled open the door and walked inside. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee hit her nostrils instantly and made her smile in contentment._

"_I want muffin, Momma! Please!" Haylee said, excitement swimming in her eyes. Alex giggled and pressed a kiss to Haylee's forehead._

"_Well, since you are the princess, I guess we will have to get you one," Alex replied, loving the smile that lit up her little girl's face. Alex grinned and walked up to the counter to order. After ordering a chocolate chip muffin for herself and for Haylee, a vanilla soy latte for herself, and a chocolate milk for Haylee, Alex set Haylee down and carried their food to a table near the back. They were seated where they were able to see everyone else, but where others could not see them easily._

_After Haylee was seated in the chair across from her, Alex put her muffin and chocolate milk in front of her, giggling as Haylee immediately began eating. Alex was going to begin eating her own food; however, she stopped when she heard a familiar voice. She scrunched up her eyebrows and looked around, finally landing her eyes on Nate and Shane who were seated a few tables away from her and Haylee. Alex was about to wave and say hi, but she froze as she began listening to what the two were saying._

"_Nate, you have to tell her you love her. It's not fair to either of you to keep that to yourself," Alex heard Shane say in a frustrated voice. Confusion filled Alex's face as she continued to listen. Nate loved somebody? Since when? She had just seen him yesterday, and he didn't say a word about loving anybody._

"_What part of telling her will only hurt her do you not get? She has been through so much in these past few months, and I can't be the one to hurt her or confuse her again. I love her too much to do that to her," Nate replied intensely, and he sounded as though this wasn't the first time he had had to explain that to Shane. Alex's confusion was growing, and her palms were becoming sweaty. Something about the way Nate was talking sounded familiar, like she somehow knew the girl he was talking about. She knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping on Nate and Shane like she was, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to know who they were talking about; she felt like she needed to know. She was glad Haylee was so wrapped up in her food that she didn't notice Nate and Shane's voices._

"_Telling her won't hurt her, but not telling her will hurt you! Don't worry about whether she will say she loves you back or not. You just need to tell her, get it out in the open so she knows," Shane replied, sounding tired. Alex heard Nate sigh and watched as he ran his hands down his face and then around to his neck._

"_The thing is, Shane, Alex could tell me that she absolutely hates me, she could tell me that she doesn't want to be my friend anymore, she could even kill me, and I wouldn't love her any less," Nate replied tiredly. Alex froze, dropping a bite of muffin she was about to put in her mouth. He couldn't be talking about her. He couldn't._

"_That's great, Nate! So, tell her," Shane stressed._

"_Damn it, Shane, you don't get it! I wouldn't love her any less, but I also wouldn't have her in my life anymore. I can't risk that! She and Haylee mean the world to me, and I can't lose them," Nate replied in a defeated voice. Alex felt like she couldn't breathe. He _was_ talking about her. Nate loved her? How was she even supposed to react to that?_

_Alex didn't want to stick around and hear anymore. She wanted to leave and avoid Nate for the rest of her life. She didn't know how to pretend like she didn't hear what he said. She couldn't face him after hearing those words come from his mouth. He loved her much more than a friend was supposed to love another friend. Of course, she loved him too; she had always loved Nate, even when he hated her. Deep down, she's loved him since she met him… But, was it in the same way that he loved her? She had to figure that out, and she couldn't face him until she had it figured out._

"_Are you about done, Haybear?" Alex asked, her voice a bit shaky. She watched as Haylee ate the last bite of her muffin. Quickly, Alex stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her latte and Haylee's milk. She motioned for Haylee to stand up and follow her. As quickly and quietly as she could, Alex lead Haylee out the back door to the coffee shop and to her car. She kept glancing over her shoulder to ensure that neither Nate nor Shane had seen her, and they hadn't. Thank God._

Ever since that morning, Alex had been avoiding Nate's calls and ignoring his text messages. She made sure she was out of the house or in the shower when he came over, and she walked the opposite way in the school hallway so she wouldn't have to see or talk to him. He surely knew something was up with her, but he hadn't had the chance to question her yet. She didn't give him the chance. She had to figure things out on her won before she could talk to him, and that was a lot easier said than done.

And, on top of everything going on with Nate, the talent show was in just three days, and Alex had yet to practice. Then, just a few months after the talent show came graduation, and Alex had no idea what she was going to do with her life after graduation. She couldn't keep relying on her parents to watch Haylee for her and provide her with money. She'd have to get a job and start supporting Haylee herself.

To say Alex was stressed would be an understatement.

Nate's words continued to swirl through her head as she laid on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. _And I wouldn't love her any less. _Tears swam in Alex's eyes as she thought about how much Nate loved her... and how much she was inevitably hurting him by avoiding him. He didn't know that she'd overheard him, he didn't know that everything had changed. He had no idea what was making Alex distance herself from him, and he was probably beating himself up over it.

Alex hated hurting Nate, especially when he hadn't done anything wrong. She knew that he couldn't help who he'd fallen in love with, she just wished he'd fallen in love with someone else, someone other than her. She was broken, probably beyond repair. Nate needed someone who was whole and someone who could love him back. She couldn't do that; she wasn't sure she could ever trust someone in that way again. The last person she'd trusted like that had been Kevin, and look how that had turned out. He'd broken her.

With a sigh, Alex's gaze moved to her guitar propped against the wall on the opposite side of the room. She needed to forget everything going on. It was taking a toll on her. Maybe music could help. She hesitantly stood up and walked over to it. She picked it up and carried it back over to her bed, sitting with it in her lap and running her hands over the smooth wood.

"Please help me," she whispered and then finally propped the guitar up so she could play it. She didn't need her song book to help her; she'd had her song memorized since the day she wrote it.

Alex began to strum absentmindedly, already feeling contentment course through her veins. She felt more whole with each passing note that came from her guitar and with each lyric that slipped past her lips. She was starting to feel okay again.

She was in the middle of playing her song for the fifth time when she heard the doorbell ring. Furrowing her eyebrows, Alex gently set her guitar beside her on the bed and stood up to make her way downstairs. She was the only one home at the moment; her parents went shopping a while ago, Mitchie took Haylee with her on a picnic with Shane, and Max was over at a friend's house. Reaching the door, Alex peaked out the window next to it and was surprised at who she saw. She quickly opened the door, unsure of what to say.

The girl's long blonde hair was piled up into a messy bun on top of her head, and her deep brown eyes were red-rimmed and filled with hurt and confusion. A slight bump was obvious on the girl's stomach. It was Natalie. Alex wordlessly let the girl inside and shut the door behind her.

"I-I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I know I should have called first…" the girl trailed off, then looked up and finally met Alex's eyes. "I need help, Alex. I am so scared," she said, her voice breaking and tears filling her eyes again. Tears filled Alex's eyes too as she pulled Natalie in for a hug. She remembered being in Natalie's position almost five years ago. She remembered how much it hurt.

"Shh. Everything's okay. I told you that you could come to me anytime, and I meant it. Everything's okay," Alex murmured. She felt like she did when she comforted Haylee, but she knew that's what Natalie needed. After a minute, Natalie pulled away and began wiping at her eyes.

"Let's go sit down, and then we can talk," Alex said in a gentle tone as she guided Natalie over to the living room couch and sat down next to her. She noticed that Natalie was shaking, so she grabbed a throw blanket off of the back of the couch they were sitting on and wrapped it around Natalie's shoulders. Natalie pulled it tight around her, finding comfort in the warm blanket.

"Now, tell me what's wrong," Alex said gently, watching as fear once again clouded the younger girl's vision. Alex wanted so desperately to take her pain away; she knew all too well what Natalie was feeling, and she wouldn't wish that pain on her worst enemy.

"I just don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can have his baby or not," Natalie replied in a small voice, her eyes unable to meet Alex's. Alex watched the internal battle going on in Natalie's head. She knew what being pregnant with her rapist's baby felt like. She remembered the dread she felt for the first few months of her pregnancy when she thought about having to look into her rapist's eyes every day for the rest of her life. She remembered shopping in baby stores and watching as pregnant all around her glowed with happiness. She remembered desperately wanting to feel that same happiness, but she couldn't. At least not for a while.

"Tell me what to do. Please. H-How did you do it? How did keep his baby?" Natalie asked as tears streamed down her cheeks and desperation flooded her voice. Alex's heart broke for the girl.

"I can't tell you what to do, Natalie. And, I know how much that sucks. I remembered wanting someone to make the same decision for me almost five years ago. To be honest, I didn't truly know I wanted to keep Haylee until the ultrasound I found out she was a girl. I heard those words mixed with her heartbeat, and I couldn't imagine giving her away. I needed her. I memorized the sound of her heartbeat and played it through my mind every time I wanted to give up, and it gave me strength," Alex replied. She reached over and began rubbing Natalie's back lightly. "Natalie, I can't tell you what to do because I don't know what you're thinking and what you're feeling. Sure, I've been there, but I'm not you. Only you can choose what's right for you. Don't think of the baby as his baby, think of it as your baby. Think about it and make the right choice for you and your baby. You don't have to have all the answers just yet; you still have plenty of time. Everything is going to be okay," Alex soothed and watched as Natalie began to calm down a little bit.

"Thank-you, Alex. You're the only one who truly gets it," Natalie whispered after a moment, and Alex pulled the fragile girl into a tight hug. She sent up a silent prayer to God, begging him to help Natalie make the right decision.

After a little while longer of talking and more shed tears, Natalie left. Alex wasn't sure where her mind was at in regards to her pregnancy, but she left with a small smile on her face, and that's all Alex could really ask for.

At the sound of her stomach growling, Alex stretched and headed to the kitchen to find some lunch. She opened the refrigerator and was about to pull out some left over spaghetti to warm up, but the sound of the doorbell ringing stopped her. She closed the refrigerator door and headed for the front door, figuring it was probably Natalie again. It hadn't been that long since she'd left.

Alex opened the door and was surprised at the person who stood in front of her, the same person she'd been trying to avoid for the past week. Nate smiled sheepishly at her, and it made her stomach knot with guilt. She hated not talking to him, but she couldn't deal with her feelings just yet.

"Can I come in, Allie?" he asked sounding unsure. Without a word, Alex stepped aside and let him inside, closing the door behind him. She then turned and stared at him. She hated that she didn't know what to say to him.

"So…" Nate trailed off as he ran his hand over the back of his neck nervously. "How have you been? Where's Haylee?" he asked. Alex cringed at the fact that he sounded like he hadn't known her his entire life; she hated the fact that she was the reason he sounded like that.

"I've been… okay. Haylee's on a picnic with Mitchie and Shane," she replied, cringing at her own voice this time. She watched as Nate nodded unsurely, and silence fell between the two. This was new for them—this silence thing. Even when they were sworn enemies they at least exchanged words of hatred. There had never been a time when they just didn't talk to one another.

"I, um, I was about to make some lunch. Did you need something?" Alex asked. She didn't intend to sound rude, she just wanted Nate out of there. He made her thoughts whirl around at top speed, and she still hadn't figured out how to deal with him loving her. Could she love him back the same way he loved her? She didn't know.

Nate's smile faded away, and a look of confusion and hurt washed over his face. He took a step closer to her, and the scent of his cologne made her yearn to fall into his arms and let him hold her close. "Look, Allie, I don't know what happened, but if I did something to make you mad, will you just tell me so I can apologize and we can stop acting like strangers?" the hurt that resonated in his voice made tears burn in the back of Alex's eyes. She didn't want Nate to hurt, but she didn't know what else to do.

Alex stayed silent, and her gaze drifted down to her shoes. She couldn't tell him that she'd overheard him and Shane at the coffee shop, but she also couldn't pretend like she hadn't heard anything. She was scared and confused. How could Nate love someone so broken? Was she even able to love anybody after everything she'd been through?

"Please talk to me, Allie. Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll fix it. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you," Nate's voice dropped near the end, and a tear leaked down Alex's cheek. She wished so badly that she could go back in time to Haylee's birthday party. Everything had been perfect then. She could stop herself from going to that stupid coffee shop.

Nate reached a hand out and gently wiped the tears from Alex's cheeks. She could feel his concerned stare, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. He sighed quietly and ran one hand through his hair. After a moment, he spoke again.

"I like you, Allie." He said it so quietly, but it echoed loudly in Alex's head. She snapped her head up to look at him. Her heart ached at his completely vulnerable expression, and she hated what she had to do. She hated herself for it.

"I-I like you too, Nate. We are best friends after all," Alex replied softly, hoping he would drop everything and go back to being her best friend who wasn't in love with her. Although, Nate couldn't think of a time when he didn't love Alex. Even when they were enemies, he hated to see her hurt. He would always regret that part of his life.

"No, Allie. I like you. As more than a friend. And, I don't know how you feel, but I thought you should know how I feel," he replied, unable to let the moment pass without Alex knowing how he truly felt about her. Alex felt her stomach drop, and she couldn't speak for a moment. Her gaze flew back down to her shoes. She definitely couldn't look him in the eyes after that. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how she felt.

"Nate, I think you should leave," she mumbled quietly. She didn't have to be looking at him to know that his eyes were now filled with hurt. A lump formed in Alex's throat, and tears formed in her eyes. She felt Nate step closer to her and grab her hand softly.

"Allie, I-I…" he trailed off. He took a deep breath and started again. "Let's just try it out. Please," Nate's voice broke at the end, and tears began falling down Alex's cheeks again. She gently pulled her hand out of his grip and walked over to the door. She opened it and waited.

"Please, Nate. Please leave," she said in a broken voice, not knowing how much longer she could stand before her sobs consumed her.

"I'm sorry, Allie. Please just forget it. Forget I said anything. You're my best friend, I don't want to leave you," desperation flooded Nate's voice, and more tears slipped from Alex's eyes. She bit her bottom lip and finally looked up at him. She knew what she had to do to get him to leave, but seeing his red-rimmed eyes made it much harder.

"I said to leave, Nate! Now!" she shouted at him. She hated herself for the pain that filled Nate's eyes. Without another word, he rushed past her and slammed the door behind him. Alex slid down the door, sobs raking through her body.

She didn't understand how Nate could love someone so broken and damaged. She didn't even know if she was capable of loving someone as perfect as Nate. She felt almost like a burden to him. She didn't want to tie him down with a daughter and a ton of emotional baggage. It would be selfish of her… wouldn't it?

Alex sighed and ran her hand through her messy curls. She'd never even thought about Nate as more than just her best friend. She hadn't thought of anybody in that way since Kevin. She was scared to let her guard down and trust someone that way again. She had to figure things out with Nate before she lost him for good. The thought of her never seeing Nate again just made more tears fall. She couldn't live without Nate; she'd done it once, and it had been hell. She couldn't do it again.

After temporarily regaining her composure, Alex peeled herself off the floor and made her way upstairs, where she collapsed on her bed. She was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling and letting tears slip from her eyes when Mitchie found her a little over an hour later.

"Hey Lex, we're back. Haylee's in her room," Mitchie said with a smile as she walked into Alex's room. Her smile began fading away, though, as she took in Alex's appearance. "Lexie, what's wrong? What happened?" Worry was evident in her tone and her eyes, and Alex knew she had to tell Mitchie what happened. So, she did. She started with over-hearing Nate and Shane at the coffee shop a week earlier and ended with her exchange with Nate that happened about an hour ago. When she was finished, Mitchie pulled her in for a quick hug.

"You have to talk to him," Mitchie said knowingly when they pulled apart. Alex sighed and wiped at her tears.

"I can't, Mitchie. I don't even know what I'm feeling," Alex replied in a defeated voice.

"Talk to him, Lexie! Talk to him and get everything straightened out, or you're going to lose him," Mitchie said again, her voice a bit more urgent this time. She sighed as she took in Alex's broken appearance again. "Tell him that you don't know how you feel, tell him you need space, tell him something! You can't leave things the way they are."

"I-I just don't understand how he could love someone like me," Alex said in a quiet voice a few seconds later. Mitchie looked at her with furrowed brows.

"What do you mean? You're great, Lex. Any guy would be lucky to love you," Mitchie replied, and Alex shook her head.

"Mitch… I'm broken," Alex replied in a voice so sad, Mitchie felt tears prick her eyes. She pulled Alex into another hug.

"Alex, you are not broken. You are strong and determined and fierce. Kevin... he did not break you. You are not some broken vase that can never be put back together again. You are Alex Russo, and you are whole. Please tell me you believe that," Mitchie said, worry swimming in her eyes. She hated seeing her best friend so defeated. Alex shook her head again, and Mitchie sighed. She pulled Alex away and made her look her in the eyes.

"No. Tell me that you believe what I just said. Tell me you are not broken," Mitchie said in a strong voice. Tears filled Alex's eyes again as she stared into Mitchie's.

"I-I'm not broken," she whispered, feeling more whole as the words escaped from her lips. Mitchie grinned at her.

"Say it again," she said, loving the light that was beginning to fill Alex's eyes. A small smile even made its way across Alex's face.

"I am not broken," she said in an even louder voice this time. Mitchie grinned even more when she saw Alex was believing the words.

"Good! Now, yell it! Let everyone know how strong you are!" Mitchie shouted. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the confident smile on Alex's face. She was so proud of her best friend.

"I am Alex Russo, and I am not broken!" Alex yelled, feeling immensely better after she did so.

"Yes! See, I told you. You are not broken," Mitchie said as she pulled her best friend in for another hug. Tears slipped from both girls' eyes.

"I am not broken," Alex whispered again. She loved the way those words tasted in her mouth, and she loved Mitchie for making her taste them.

"Thank-you so much, Mitch. I don't know what I would do without you," Alex said in a raw voice and hugged Mitchie tighter.

"Anytime, Lex." Mitchie replied softly, meaning her words with all her heart.

The next two days passed rather slowly for Alex. She hadn't seen or spoken to Nate since the day at her house when she told him to leave. He'd tried calling her and texting her, but she just hit ignore and delete. She hated putting Nate through this, but she had no other choice until she figured out how she felt about him. She didn't want to tell him anything until she was absolutely positive, and she couldn't see him and talk to him like was everything was normal until she figured it out because things were far from normal.

It was the night of the talent show, and Alex was pacing nervously backstage. She was wearing dark skinny jeans, a red floral flowy tank-top to match her red lipstick and black sandals. She left her hair down in its natural curls. She clutched her guitar to her chest and she mentally went over her song once more. She was up next, and she was a bundle of nerves. She had never done something like this before, and after tonight, she would know if she liked it or not.

Her head snapped up when she heard loud applause and then the announcer's voice. "Thank-you, Bridget! Up next is the very talented Alex Russo singing an original song called 'Iris'. Everyone give it up for Alex!" Alex felt like she was going to throw up and she painted on a fake smile and hesitantly walked onstage. She could see her parents, Max, Haylee, Mitchie, Shane, Miley, and even Nate in the fifth row. She had to smile at her Haylee, who was holding up a glittery sign that read "Go Mommy!"

Alex walked over to the stool that sat in the middle of the stage and took a seat. She adjusted her guitar and the microphone in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she began to strum, the notes filling the room and bouncing from person to person, eliciting sweet smiles from each. And then she began to sing.

"_And I'd give up forever to touch you , 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow , You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be , And I don't wanna go home right now , And all I can taste is this moment , And all I can breathe is your life , When sooner or later it's over , I just don't wanna miss you tonight"_

The lyrics made her think of Nate. She thought of all the nights he'd held her as tears streamed down her face and nightmares filled her head. She thought of Nate being the only one to help her when she had to give Haylee up to Miley while they were still trying to catch Kevin. She thought of his words again. _And I wouldn't love her any less._

Could she love Nate back?

"_And I don't want the world to see me , 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand , When everything's made to be broken , I just want you to know who I am"_

She thought about Nate again, and how he was one of the very few people she trusted her life with. She thought about his words at Haylee's birthday party, how he'd felt so guilty because he hadn't been there to help her after Kevin raped her. She thought about how safe she felt when she was wrapped up tight in his arms, how he never made her feel like she was broken.

"_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming , Or the moment of truth in your lies , When everything feels like the movies , Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive"_

She thought about Nate telling her how he felt and her just telling him to leave. And there he was, sitting next to her family, cheering her on like she'd done nothing wrong. Tears filled Alex's eyes, and she began to strum harder.

"_And I don't want the world to see me , 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand , When everything's made to be broken , I just want you to know who I am , And I don't want the world to see me , 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand , When everything's made to be broken , I just want you to know who I am , And I don't want the world to see me , 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand , When everything's made to be broken , I just want you to know who I am"_

She thought about Nate warm smile, his honest eyes, and his warming voice. She thought about how much she looked forward to seeing him when she knew he was coming over, and how much she dreaded when he had to leave.

"_I just want you to know who I am."_

She thought about everything he knew about her and the fact that he still loved her. He probably loved her more than she loved herself.

"_I just want you to know who I am."_

She thought about how hurt she'd been when he chose Alison over her. Then, she thought about how he broke up with Alison just to be friends with her. She thought about the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed and the way he would rub the back of his neck when he got nervous. She thought about all of these things and then wondered why all of these things made her so happy.

"_I just want you to know who I am."_

She thought about her future with Haylee, and then she fit Nate into the picture too. She tried to picture her future without Nate again, but she couldn't. She needed him, and she knew that she would always need him. As much more than a best friend.

As she stopped strumming, the crowd began to cheer. She smiled widely and stood up from her stool, letting her guitar hang by the shoulder strap. She watched as, row after row, people stood to give her a standing ovation. She looked at her family and smiled even wider when she saw Haylee up on Nate's shoulders while she held up her signed and screamed for Alex.

Although she felt wonderful about her performance and about the fact that the audience enjoyed it so much, she felt even better about one other thing she'd just realized. It hit her so hard, she had to grip the edge of the stool to be able to remain standing.

She loved Nate, maybe even more than he loved her.

**A/N: I hope this was worth the wait! So, Nate loves Alex, and she loves him back! How will he react when he finds out? Will the two finally be together? ;)**

**How did you guys like the scene with Alex and Mitchie? I think it was my favorite to write so far. I think Alex needed to hear the words come from her own mouth before she could believe them, and Mitchie was the perfect person to get her to say them.**

**I have missed you guys entirely too much. I have full intentions on finishing this story for y'all, so please bear with me. I love you allll!**

**Review and let me know what you thought!**

**Xoxo – Jordan :)**

**Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…**

"_Damn it, Nate! I love you too!"_

…

"_If you're with Nate now, does that mean that Nate's my daddy?"_

…

"_Well, well, well. What do we have here? The couple that this bitch swore up and down would never happen? And, where's the brat? Spending quality time with Daddy so she can grow up to be just like him?"_

…

"_Look, I know I don't have any experience, and I know I look like some stupid kid who needs to run back home to her parents. But, I have a little girl that I need to be able to take care of. I am a hard worker, and I can guarantee that I will never take this job for granted because that would mean no being able to take care of my child. I need this job. Please."_

…

"_Alex? My name is Lila James. I'm Kevin's mother. Can we talk?"_


	16. Like Fire and Ice

**Fire and Ice**

**Episode 15: Like Fire and Ice**

**By: daddyslittleprincess123**

**A/N: Hey y'all! After much deliberation, I have decided to make this the last chapter of Fire and Ice. Things will wrap up smoothly in this chapter, and I will work on getting an epilogue to y'all within the next couple of weeks. I feel awful because I haven't had the time nor the motivation to put as much into this story as I wanted to. I began writing this story as a freshman in high school, and I will be moving in to college in just 10 days. I am so excited to see where life takes me! Thank-you all so much for sticking by me and supporting me for so long. It means more to me than you will ever know. Thank-you for allowing me to be a part of your lives, and thank-you for being a part of mine. I feel tremendously blessed. 3**

**I will continue to write, as writing is my passion and simply a part of who I am. I promise you all that I will never stop writing. I just think it's time for this story to come to an end. I promise that you will all love this chapter; it's what so many of you have been waiting for!**

**Lori: **Thank-you so much for your sweet review! I hope that this final chapter is everything you have been waiting for. :)

**Trying2StayHopeful: **Lol, thank-you so much! I really hope you enjoy this final chapter! And, I hope it's the best yet!

**Again, thank-you all so much for your endless amount of patience, support, and encouragement. I owe so much to y'all. I hope that this final chapter beats your expectations and leaves you with a big smile on your face. I love you.**

**** This chapter picks up just a few minutes after Alex's performance at the talent show.**

**** One of the previews from the last chapter will not be in here, but the rest will be.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. I really don't. Pinky promise.**

**STARTING STORY:**

After the deafening applause for Alex died down, the announcer made his way back onstage and lined all of the contestants up across the stage. It was time to announce the winner. Standing at the end of the line next to a girl she barely knew, Alex stood anxiously, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. The girl next to her grabbed her hand and shot her a reassuring smile. Alex smiled a weak smile back at the girl.

To everyone else, Alex appeared to be nervous about the winner of the talent show; however, Alex honestly didn't care if she won or not. Sure, Haylee would probably love to add Alex's medal to her box of dress-up clothes, but Alex wasn't worried about any of that. No, Alex was just ready for the whole announcement to be over with so she could find Nate and make an announcement of her own, one much more important than the winner of a high school talent show.

A grin spread across Alex's face as she, once again, thought about the realization she'd made just a few minutes beforehand. She loved Nate. She was in love with her best friend, and he loved her too. She knew that she would feel whole with him and Haylee by her side. She needed him and she loved him and she couldn't wait to tell him. If only the announcer would hurry up so she could tell him.

Alex stole a glance at the audience and smiled when her eyes landed on Nate and Haylee. Haylee was sitting up in Nate's lap, and both were staring intently at the announcer, inevitably waiting for him to hurry up and name Alex as the winner so they could start cheering again. Alex wished she could leave the stage and go to them now. She didn't want to wait any longer. She wanted to wrap both Nate and Haylee into her arms, and she never wanted to let them go.

"… Alex Russo!" the announcer finally called out, jolting Alex from her thoughts. The crowd stood up and began cheering, and Alex swore she could hear Haylee above everyone else. An excited grin spread across her face, and she quickly walked to the center of the stage, where the announcer was waiting with a bouquet of flowers and a medallion to put around her neck.

The moment felt surreal as Alex turned her attention back to Haylee, who was on Nate's shoulders with her sign in the air, and Nate, who looked terribly proud as he cheered along with the rest of the crowd. Alex gratefully accepted the bouquet of flowers and allowed the announcer to place the medallion around her neck.

After a few moments, the cheering died down and the lighting in the auditorium turned back on, indicating that the talent show was over. Alex grinned and hurried off stage to find Nate. Of course, she wanted to find her family too, but she wanted to find Nate first. She was more than ready to make things right between them again.

Ten minutes later, after thanking many people for their words of congratulations, Alex found her family standing outside of the auditorium doors waiting on her. She immediately swung Haylee into her arms and gave her a big hug.

"Thank-you for making me do that, sweet girl. Thank-you so much," Alex whispered to her very excited four year old. Haylee pulled out of the hug and planted a big kiss on Alex's cheek, making Alex grin. She hugged Haylee to her more tightly and looked around her. She frowned slightly when she realized that Nate wasn't there anymore.

"Congratulations, Lexie! You did so good!" Mitchie said with a big grin as she gave Alex a big hug and another bouquet of flowers. Alex accepted them with a smile.

"Thanks, Mitch. Do you know where Nate went? I needed to talk to him," Alex asked quickly, wanting to find him as soon as possible. She held the words that would make him happy again, and she had to say them before it was too late. Mitchie gave her a sympathetic look and shook her head.

"He took off just before you got out here. I, um, I don't think he wanted to face you just yet," Mitchie replied quietly. Her parents were giving her curious looks, but Alex ignored them. She had to find Nate.

"Well, do you know where he went?" Alex asked as she shifted her weight.

"I think he might've headed home," Shane said this time. Alex nodded and looked at Haylee. She kissed her forehead lovingly before passing her to Mitchie.

"Can you watch her for a little while? I just really have to talk to Nate," Alex asked Mitchie, who shot her a suspicious look. Mitchie raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Yeah, I'll watch her, but why do you need to see Nate so badly?" Mitchie asked. She wore a confused expression, as the last she'd heard, Alex was trying to avoid Nate. Alex blushed a little and smiled.

"I promise I will tell you when I get home. Thank-you so much, Mitch!" Alex said, then turned to leave. She was stopped by her mother's voice.

"Alex! We were going to take you out to eat to celebrate," her mother said with a confused smile. Alex turned back around and gave her mother a hug. She truly was grateful for her parents' support; however, she couldn't wait another minute to see Nate.

"I'm sorry, Mom. You guys go out to eat without me. I really have to do this," Alex said to her mother with an earnest expression. After studying her daughter's face for a minute, Theresa smiled and nodded.

"Alright. Have fun," she said. Alex grinned, then turned around and headed for her car again.

Her stomach somersaulted as she finally found her car and got inside. She quickly buckled her seatbelt and sped off in the direction of Nate's house. She couldn't control the sense of urgency that had taken over her body; she couldn't go another minute without making things right with Nate. He had to know that she loved him.

Alex made it to Nate's house in less than five minutes, thanking God that the back roads were virtually empty. She quickly turned her car off and hurried to the front door, unable to control her breathing or the fluttering butterflies in her stomach as she started knocking. This was it. She was finally going to be with the guy she loved.

The door opened a minute later, and there stood Nate. He was looking at Alex with confusion written across his features. Alex smiled tentatively when she was hope in his eyes. She hoped that he saw love in her eyes.

"Alex. What are you doing here?" he asked her unsurely. Alex tried to control her breathing before she answered.

"Can I come in? I really need to talk to you," Alex asked slowly, hopefully. She watched as Nate debated the idea before finally sighing and letting her step inside. He closed the door and turned to face her with his arms crossed across his chest. Alex hated that he looked so defensive and that it was her fault that he did. She would never forgive herself for treating Nate so badly, but she hoped that he would forgive her.

Finally faced with the moment Alex had been waiting on, she found that the situation was a lot harder than she'd imagined it to be. She was having trouble finding the right words to say. Nate was growing impatient across from her. He let out a sigh.

"Why are you here, Alex? I thought we finished everything the other day at your house. Or, are you here to yell at me some more? I knew this would happen if I told you how I was feeling, and that's why I didn't want to tell you in the first place. I don't know why I did. It was stupid and naïve of me, and I regret it more than I have ever regretted anything else in my life. I'm sorry, Alex. I-" Nate rambled on and on, and Alex couldn't tell if he was angry with her or with himself or all of the above. She was growing tired of listening to him when he was being so hard on himself, though, so she blurted out the only thing that had been on her mind since the end of her song.

"Damn it, Nate! I love you too!" Alex exclaimed, and Nate snapped his mouth shut. Surprise filled his features, and Alex could see hope glimmering in his eyes as well. He uncrossed his arms and took a small step closer to her. Alex smiled a watery smile.

"W-What did you say?" Nate stammered out, wanting to make sure he'd heard her correctly. Alex took a small step closer to him and took his hands into her own. He looked down at their hands and back up at Alex with a hint of a smile on his face.

"I said that I love you too. I love you, Nate. I really and truly love you, as much more than just a friend," Alex replied softly, loving the smile that graced Nate's face. He looked like Haylee did every time Alex made her a heart-shaped grilled cheese. Alex knew that she would do anything to make him smile like that again.

"What? When... where… what?" Nate asked, too surprised to form complete thoughts. When he first saw Alex at his door, he was worried that she was there to end their friendship for good. Alex telling him that she loved him… was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He would never forget the way her voice sounded when she said those words, _"I love you too!"_.

Alex let out a small giggle before taking another step closer to him.

"I figured it out when I was singing my song on stage tonight. You're the one that's always here for me, the only one that completely understands me and what I need, and the only one I want to spend my life with. It has always been you, Nate, I just didn't realize it before. I am so sorry for treating you so badly before. I just needed time to figure things out on my own. I love you, Nate. I know it now. Will you please forgive me?" Alex asked her question softly with only love in her voice. Nate stared at her.

"Will I forgive you? Allie, oh my God!" Nate exclaimed as he picked Alex up and spun her around. He felt so elated in that moment, that he knew that no one could bring him down. The girl he loved loved him too, and there was nothing better than that.

After a second, Nate set Alex back down. He stared into her eyes and just grinned.

"There is nothing to forgive, Allie. This is the best thing that ever could have happened. I love you so much," Nate said as he pulled her in for a hug. He buried his head in her curls and inhaled. He loved the smell of strawberries and cream that hit him, but he loved the woman in his arms more.

"Will you say it again?" Nate asked softly, still wrapped into the hug. He felt Alex smile.

"I love you, Nate," Alex's muffled voice floated up and caused Nate's smile to grow bigger.

"Say it again," he said, and Alex giggled.

"Nate!" she said, knowing all too well where this game was headed, as she'd played it many times before with Haylee. Nate chuckled softly and pulled out of the hug. He gazed into Alex's eyes.

"I have been waiting for so long to hear you say those words. Please say them again, just one more time," Nate said softly. Alex gave him a playful look.

"I love you, Nate. I love you, I love you, I love you. I will never not say those words because I love you. Now, you tell me," Alex replied with a smile. Their heads were getting closer and closer the longer each spoke.

"I love you, Allie. I always have, and I always will," Nate said, their noses finally touching. In a breath, their lips met. Alex was never one to believe in magic, but the kiss made her a believer. For the first time in such a long time, Alex felt whole and happy, and she had Nate to thank for that.

Alex stayed in Nate's arms for as long as she could before she had to go home and get Haylee to bed and answer Mitchie's multitude of questions. For the first night in a long time, Alex slept a peaceful slumber with good dreams and a smile on her face.

_The next morning…._

When the morning sunlight poured through Alex's window and forced her eyes open, Alex groaned and let out a sigh. She had been dreaming about Nate, and she wanted to go back to the dream. Then, with a start, Alex shot up and a grin lit up her face. She put her fingers lightly on her lips as she remembered the night before. Her confession to Nate, telling one another that they loved each other, and then kissing.

It had been real.

Alex let out an elated giggle and picked her phone up off of the nightstand beside her bed. In the list of congratulatory text messages, Alex spotted one from Nate. With a smile, she clicked it open.

_I can't believe last night was real. I love you so much, Allie. Thanks for making me the happiest man alive. I will pick you and Haylee up at 10 for breakfast. I love you (I know I already said it, but I can't help it)._

Alex couldn't contain her happiness as she read the message over and over again. After a while, she cleared out of her messages and saw that it was already 9:15. She had to get up and get herself and Haylee ready before Nate arrived.

Alex quickly slipped on her slippers and purple silk robe before she padded out of her room and down the hall to Haylee's room. Opening the door, she smiled as she spotted Haylee on the carpet playing quietly with a puzzle.

"Good morning, Haybear," Alex said softly, smiling even more when Haylee's head snapped up and an excited grin came across her face. She dropped the puzzle piece she was holding and scurried over to Alex, who scooped her up into her arms and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning, Mommy!" Haylee said happily. Alex shifted Haylee to her hip and brushed a curl out of her face.

"Did you sleep well?" Alex asked, to which Haylee nodded enthusiastically.

"I had very good dreams!" Haylee assured Alex. Alex giggled as she looked at her little girl. Haylee never ceased to amaze Alex, and the amount of love Alex had for her little girl was endless. It was amazing to Alex how much Haylee had grown over the past four years. She went from a tiny baby who needed her for everything to an energetic toddler who didn't need her nearly as much as she once did. Although it made Alex sad that her little girl was growing, she was also excited to experience Haylee growing and learning; she couldn't wait to see the world through Haylee's eyes as long as Haylee would allow her to.

"I'm so glad, sweetness. Listen, we have to get ready because Nate is coming to take us for breakfast in a little while," Alex said as she carried Haylee over to her closet. Haylee's eyes lit up in excitement at the mention of Nate's name.

After getting Haylee dressed in black leggings and a purple t-shirt with Hello Kitty on it and pulling her hair into a messy but cute bun, Alex had just enough time to get herself ready. She left Haylee playing in her bedroom and went back to her own room.

Alex went over to her closet and began rummaging through it. After a few minutes, she furrowed her eyebrows and sighed. Nothing seemed right. She knew she had to hurry because she only had about twenty minutes left to get ready, but she just couldn't find the right outfit. It would be the first time she'd seen Nate since the night before, and she had to look perfect.

"Mitchie!" Alex called out after a few more minutes of coming up short. Mitchie appeared at her door a minute later.

"What's up, Lex?" Mitchie asked as she walked further into the room. Alex sighed and gestured toward her closet in frustration.

"I have nothing to wear!" Alex said frustratedly. Mitchie furrowed her eyebrows at her best friend.

"What are you getting dressed for?" Mitchie asked as she walked closer, stopping when she was standing beside Alex. A light pink blush spread across Alex's face, and she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips.

"Nate's taking me and Haylee out for breakfast," Alex replied smoothly, trying to dial back her excitement even though she was freaking out inside. Mitchie smirked at Alex's response.

"Oh, I get it! You want to look good for your man," Mitchie said, playfully nudging Alex. Alex gave her a look, making her laugh. She had been waiting so long for Alex and Nate to get together, and she found pleasure in the fact that she could now tease them about it, lovingly of course.

"I'm serious, Mitch. I need help!" Alex exclaimed. Mitchie sighed playfully.

"Okay, okay. I'll help," Mitchie said resolutely as she stepped into the closet. She rummaged around for a few minutes before she pulled out a long pink, yellow, and orange striped maxi dress. She grinned as she handed it over to Alex. "This is perfect, Lex. You'll take his breath away," Mitchie promised.

Alex took the dress from Mitchie and walked over to her mirror. She held it up to her body and examined her reflection. After a few minutes of doing this, Alex finally smiled and gave Mitchie a quick hug.

"Thanks, Mitchie. This is perfect. I don't know what I'd do without you," Alex said as she pulled away from the hug.

Mitchie grinned back at her. "Good thing you'll never have to find out, huh?" she asked as she backed up out the door. Alex smiled after her friend, but then turned around a studied her reflection in the mirror once more. With a satisfied nod, she began to get ready. She hoped that Mitchie was right and that she would take Nate's breath away.

Alex was coming down the stairs hand-in-hand with Haylee just as the doorbell rang. She heard Mitchie let Nate in, and an excited grin made its way onto her face. She was so excited to see Nate again, and she was also excited to tell Haylee that she and Nate were together. She hoped that Haylee would be okay with the change.

"So, where's my girlfriend?" Alex heard Nate ask as she walked into the living room where Nate, Shane, and Mitchie were all standing. Alex smirked as she walked up to Nate.

"Girlfriend?" she questioned. They hadn't discussed official titles the night before, but she loved that Nate assumed they were already boyfriend and girlfriend. She was almost as in love with being called Nate's girlfriend as she was with being called Haylee's mommy.

""Um, yeah. I thought… Aren't we…" Nate stuttered out, his eyes widening as he began questioning his decision to call Alex his girlfriend without asking her first. Alex watched him for a minute before giggling and planting her lips on his to quieten him down.

"I would love to be your girlfriend," Alex said to him softly, their noses touching. Nate's worried expression broke out into a grin. He was going to kiss her again, when they were interrupted by a little voice.

"Ew, no more kissing!" Haylee squealed from her place on Alex's hip. Alex laughed and pulled away from Nate. She'd forgotten she was still holding Haylee.

"Agreed. I'm happy y'all are together, but the kid's right," Shane said. Mitchie nudged him playfully and kissed his cheek.

"Come on, let's go find something to eat," Mitchie said to him as she lead him into the kitchen to give Alex and Nate the chance to talk to Haylee. When they were gone, Alex turned her attention to Haylee and smiled at her.

"Baby girl, are you okay with Mommy and Nate being together?" Alex asked her little girl, as her opinion was the most important to Alex. Haylee nodded her head with a shrug.

"I guess so," Haylee replied, a little unsure of what her mommy was talking about. All she knew was that her mommy and Nate kissed now. Even though she thought it was gross, she liked that it made her mommy happy. Alex grinned and kissed Haylee's forehead.

"Are you ladies ready to go get some breakfast?" Nate asked, satisfied with Haylee's response. Haylee nodded her head much more enthusiastically this time. Nate chuckled at the little girl's reaction and followed the two out of the house. Even though he had eaten with Alex and Haylee many times before, he was eating with his girlfriend and her little girl this time, and that small detail made the experience that much better.

After the best breakfast Nate had ever eaten, more so because of the company and not the food, the trio headed over to the park. Alex and Nate were walking hand-in-hand in the grass as they watched Haylee swing on the swing-set.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?" Nate asked as Alex stepped closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. A light blush spread across her face, but it was nothing compared to the butterflies that erupted in her stomach.

"Not yet," she replied with a smile. She squeezed his hand once.

"You look gorgeous today, Allie. I'm so happy that you and Haylee are here with me," Nate said to her softly, causing tingles to run down her spine.

"I'm happy too. This is the happiest I've been in such a long time," Alex told him truthfully as the two slowly passed by another tree. She glanced in Haylee's direction and had to smile at the little girl's determination to swing as high as she could.

Alex and Nate continued walking for a while, not really saying much, just enjoying each other's company. Each was in pure bliss, and neither could remember ever being happier. That feeling came to a halt, however, when Alison appeared in front of them. They must not have noticed her as they were walking around. Alison smirked an evil smirk as she looked from Alex and Nate's intertwined hands to their faces.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? The couple that this bitch swore up and down would never happen? And, where's the brat? Spending quality time with Daddy so she can grow up to be just like him?" Alison questioned in a cold voice, her evil smirk still intact. Alex felt as if she'd been slapped, but she was not willing to go down without a fight.

"You should really learn to stay out of things that don't concern you," Alex said in a voice as hot as the fire burning in her eyes. Nate squeezed her hand to calm her down, and she was grateful he was there. Alison took a step closer.

"You should really learn to stay away from things that are mine," Alison replied, her smirk gone. Alex rolled her eyes at the girl. She was tired of constantly having to tell Alison that Nate wasn't hers. Before she could reply, though, Nate stepped forward.

"Listen Alison, I am not yours. I am in love with Alex. I don't want anybody else, and I don't need anybody else. I would appreciate it if you would just leave us alone," Nate said slowly, trying not to lose his temper. Alison took a step toward him, her eyes pleading.

"But, Nate…" she started, but was cut off by Nate.

"No buts. Please just let us be happy. You will find the perfect guy for you one day, but I am not that guy. Wait for him, and leave us alone," Nate said softly. He didn't like Alison after everything she'd done to Alex, but he also didn't like hurting her. Alison stared at him for a minute, before she simply nodded her head and walked away. Alex stared after her in shock. It amazed her how Nate had handled the situation; maybe all Alison needed after all was not for Alex to snap at her, but for Nate to kindly let her know that they would never work out together.

The way Nate had handled that situation made Alex love him all the more. She was grateful he was there to step in when she needed him to, and she was grateful he would always be there for her and for Haylee. When she was like fire and ready to snap, he was the ice that soothed her. They were perfect for each other, and she was happy she had finally realized that.

"I love you so much," Alex said softly as she and Nate began their walk again. He smiled down at her.

"I love you too, Allie," Nate replied, then brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Content, Alex laid her head back down on his shoulder. She looked over again at Haylee, who was still swinging. Although it was soon, Alex could picture the rest of her life with Nate and Haylee by her side. She pictured more breakfast dates and movies and board games and carnivals. She pictured a small house for just the three of them, and maybe more in the future. She pictured waking up every morning next to Nate and the two of them kissing Haylee goodnight every night. She was at the _Once Upon a Time_, and she wanted the _The End_ to be with her two favorite people in the whole world.

After a little while longer of walking around with Nate and watching Haylee swing, Alex decided that it was time for them to head back home. She and Nate were going to study for an English test together, and it was getting close to Haylee's nap time.

"Come on, Haylee! It's time to go!" Alex called out to Haylee, who obediently halted her swinging and ran to join Alex and Nate. She let out a big yawn when she reached the two, and Alex giggled and hoisted Haylee up onto her hip for the walk home. Since it was such a pretty day and their destinations were not far, Alex and Nate had decided to just walk to breakfast and then to the park.

They began their walk back to the house, and Alex felt Haylee lay her head down on her shoulder. She smiled warmly.

"Are you tired, sweetie?" Alex asked. Haylee nodded slowly.

"Yes, Mommy," Haylee replied in a soft voice.

"You can take a nap when we get home, okay?" Alex asked, to which Haylee simply nodded. Alex held Haylee closer to her. Nate watched Alex and Haylee with a smile on his face. He loved watching Alex as a mother. To be completely honest, even after everything they'd been through, Nate was still sometimes surprised that Alex was a mother. He had to admit, though, that she had done a wonderful job with Haylee, and he knew Haylee would succeed because of Alex. He wanted to be by Alex's side as Haylee grew up; he wanted to experience everything.

"Mommy?" Haylee asked softly a few minutes later. They had just turned onto Alex's street, and Alex was relieved because her arms were beginning to grow tired.

"Yeah, Haybear?" Alex responded. Haylee seemed to think her words over before she said them.

"If you're with Nate now, does that mean that Nate's my daddy?" Haylee asked, surprising both Alex and Nate. Alex paused for a minute, but then started walking again. She looked to Nate for help on how to answer Haylee's question, because this was one of the times that Haylee truly stunned her to silence. Nate squeezed her hand in reassurance before speaking.

"Me and your mommy being together doesn't have to change anything, Haylee. But, if you want me to be your daddy, then I would be honored. The choice is all yours," Nate said carefully, trying to avoid putting any pressure on the four-year-old. Alex smiled up at Nate with tears glistening in her eyes. For the second time that day, Nate had shown Alex exactly why she loved him.

"I want you to be my daddy," Haylee said to Nate after a moment, and he felt like his heart would burst with love. He looked at Haylee, and he knew that he would always love her as if she were his own. There was something about the little girl, maybe the fact that she was so much like Alex, which made him surrender his whole heart and want nothing in return. He would never be her blood father, but he would try for the rest of his life to be her real father.

"I would love that so much, Haylee," Nate replied, trying to hide the fact that tears were forming in his eyes.

"Okay, daddy," Haylee said softly as her tiredness got the better of her and her eyes drooped closed. They reached Alex's house then, and Alex stopped when they reached the door. She turned and gave Nate a slow, passionate kiss.

"Thank-you so much, Nate," Alex whispered after they pulled apart. She didn't wait for Nate to reply as she opened the door and went inside. He followed her and decided to wait in the kitchen while she took Haylee upstairs to her bed so she could sleep. Nate took a seat at the table to wait for Alex, and he began thinking through everything that had happened in the past forty-eight hours. He finally had Alex, the woman he loved, in his life, and she loved him too. And, he had a daughter, Haylee, who he would spend the rest of his life trying to live up to his perception of him. He had everything a man could possibly need, and he was so happy. He was more than happy, he was elated. He felt content and settled, and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with the two girls he loved most.

Alex came back downstairs after a few minutes with their English text books in her arms. She grabbed Nate's hand and pulled him up out of the chair and into the living room. The two had just settled onto the couch and opened their books when the doorbell rang. Alex furrowed her eyebrows and got up to answer it. She quickly made her way to the door and pulled it open. She was met with the vision of an older woman, maybe fifty, who wore a dark violet pant suit. The woman's hair was blonde with a few strands of gray, and she looked oddly familiar, though Alex had never met her before.

"Alex? My name is Lila James. I'm Kevin's mother. Can we talk?" the woman asked hesitantly. Alex stilled at the woman's words, and her mind began whirling in a million different directions. Should she let the woman in? What was she even doing there?

"W-what do you want?" Alex asked slowly, not opening the door any further to allow the woman to come inside. She didn't mean to sound so rude, but she honestly didn't know what to say to the mother of the monster who had ruined her life. If there was proper protocol for such a thing, she had never heard of it.

"I just want to talk to you. I can go if you don't want to," Lila replied softly, not wanting to scare the young mother. Alex glanced at the older woman for a moment before finally sighing and opening the door further to allow her inside. Lila shot her a grateful smile as she walked inside, and Alex closed the door behind her and turned to face her with her arms crossed.

"We can talk in the living room. My boyfriend is in there now, but I can get him to leave for a while," Alex said in a steady voice to Lila. Lila nodded agreeably and followed Alex as she led her into the living room. Looking around as she walked, Lila spotted many toys and pictures of a little girl hanging on the wall. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realized that the pictures were of her grandbaby and that the toys were her grandbaby's toys, and she sent a silent prayer up to God, hoping against hope that Alex would let her meet the little girl.

"Who was at the door, Allie?" Nate asked, his attention surprisingly on the textbook in front of him. Alex cleared her throat, causing Nate to look up. He looked confused at the sight of the older woman he had never met before, and he stood up to stand next to Alex. He wondered why she looked so worried when she had been so happy before.

"Nate, is it okay if we study together later? I promise I will call you when we are finished talking, but we really need to be alone," Alex explained as she took Nate's hand into her own. He began rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb, calming her greatly.

"Of course that's fine. Are you sure you're okay?" Nate asked her gently. He didn't bother asking her who the other woman was because he knew she would tell him later, but he was worried about how uncomfortable she looked. He watched as she put on a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thank-you for everything today, especially for everything you did for Haylee. It means more to me than you know," Alex said sincerely, her smile becoming more genuine. He smiled back at her and pulled her in for a hug. She snuggled into his chest and breathed in his scent. She didn't really want him to leave, but she knew he had to.

"You don't need to thank me," Nate said as he kissed the top of her head. Alex finally pulled out of the hug and planted a kiss on his lips. After a moment, the two pulled apart and begrudgingly let go of the other's hand. Alex watched as Nate grabbed his car keys and left. Taking a deep breath, Alex turned around again to face Lila. She was certainly not looking forward to this conversation, and she was sincerely glad that Haylee was asleep upstairs.

"Um, please take a seat," Alex awkwardly said as she took her former seat on the couch. Lila settled on the chair next to her, and she primly crossed her legs. After taking a breath, Lila began talking.

"I'm sorry to show up here so unannounced. Truthfully, I should have come to you long before now," Lila began, and Alex listened intently, not daring to interrupt her. "Alex, I know I can't take away the pain that my son has caused you, but I want you to know how sorry I am. It has taken me a while to get to this place and to accept everything that Kevin has done, but I understand it now. I understand that he hurt you, and I am so sorry for that," Lila said in an emotional voice, her words becoming clouded with tears.

Tears formed in Alex's eyes as well, but she didn't let them fall. She had hated Kevin ever since he raped her, but she hated him more now as she saw how much pain his actions had inflicted on his mother. Kevin had hurt so many people, but his mother was not to blame for what he had done. And, although Alex hated Kevin with every fiber of her being, she couldn't hate his mother as well. All Lila had done was raise a boy who grew into an entirely different man. She couldn't blame Lila for that, and she had to let her know.

"Mrs. James, I appreciate your apology, but you are not to blame for what Kevin did to me. He hurt me, but he hurt you too. You can't blame yourself," Alex said softly to Lila, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. Alex's heart broke for the woman. She knew all too well how easily it was to blame one's self for someone else's actions. Mitchie hadn't let her blame herself for what Kevin did, and she wasn't going to let Lila blame herself either.

Alex stood up and hesitantly put her arms around the shaking woman. Lila seemed unsure for a moment, but she then settled down and cried into Alex's arms.

After a little while, Lila pulled away and embarrassedly wiped the tears from her face. "I'm sorry, dear. I did not come here to cry all over you. You must think I'm a mess," Lila said as she fished a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed her face with it. Alex smiled sympathetically at the woman, handing her another tissue from her own pocket. She always kept some in there in case Haylee needed one.

"I don't think you're a mess. I think you're human. It's okay to cry; sometimes crying is the only thing that keeps us sane," Alex said softly. Lila shot her a grateful smile after she had all of her tears wiped away. Alex noticed nervousness creep into her features, and she sat quietly, waiting for Lila to say whatever was on her mind.

"When I talked to Kevin last, he mentioned that you… that you had a daughter. I-I didn't know he… he got you pregnant," Lila stuttered out. Alex's smile faded from her face as she listened to Lila's words. She hated to think that Kevin fathered her little girl. She was grateful for Nate, who had selflessly volunteered to be Haylee's daddy. One day, when she was old enough to understand everything, Haylee would be grateful to him too.

"I did get pregnant, and I do have a daughter. Her name is Haylee," Alex responded slowly, unsure of where their conversation was headed. Alex watched as a small smile appeared on Lila's face at the mention of Haylee.

"She's three, right?" Lila asked, quickly doing the math in her head. Alex didn't allow her guard to go down just yet. She could never be too safe when it came to Haylee, and she had no idea what Lila's intentions were of asking these questions about Haylee.

"She actually just turned four," Alex corrected Lila, who nodded.

"Four, sorry. And, you have been raising her by yourself all this time?" Lila inquired, and Alex nodded.

"Well, I've had help from my family and friends. I'm her mother, though, and I have been doing my best to keep her happy and healthy," Alex replied in a steady voice. Lila nodded her head again at the information.

"I hope you don't think I'm over-stepping, and, if you do, please just tell me so, but would it be okay if I met Haylee? I know that we are not in an ideal situation here, but I would like to get to know Haylee and be her grandma," Lila finally asked, hope swimming in her eyes. Alex let out a breath she had been holding since Lila's questions began. She was relieved that all Lila wanted was to be a part of Haylee's life. She had been worried that Lila would try to take Haylee away from her, and she would have died before that happened.

Alex considered Lila's request in her head for a moment. Of course she didn't like the idea of Kevin being anywhere near Haylee, but Kevin was locked up in a prison cell far away. She didn't know Lila very well at all and didn't like the idea of Haylee being alone with her, but Alex could just be in the room while Lila visited with Haylee, at least until she grew more comfortable with the woman. She couldn't just deny Lila the right to know her granddaughter, especially after everything she'd been through with Kevin. Lila didn't ask to have a rapist for a son, and she didn't deserve to be punished because she was dealt that unfortunate hand.

"As Haylee's mother, it's my job to do what's best for her. I think it is important for her to get to know her grandma, but I do have some conditions," Alex replied to Lila's question. She smiled when she saw Lila's smile grow wider.

"Oh Alex, thank-you so much! What are your conditions?" Lila inquired, sitting up in her chair to listen.

"First of all, I want to be with you and Haylee at all times, at least for a while. It's not that I don't trust you with her, it's just that I don't know you very well and it would be irresponsible of me to leave my daughter with someone that I don't know. Second of all, no mentioning Kevin around her. She isn't old enough to understand it all yet, and she already has a daddy in her life. And finally, whenever Kevin gets out of prison, I don't want him anywhere near Haylee. I don't care if Haylee is 45 years old with a family of her own, it will still be our job to keep her safe. Okay?" Alex finished in a firm but kind voice. She would not negotiate on any of her terms. Lila nodded her head understandingly at Alex's words.

"Of course, Alex. I understand your terms, and I will follow them. You're a good mother, Alex, and I want to help you keep Haylee safe," Lila promised, and Alex smiled at her. She was glad everything had worked out smoothly, and she was even glad that Haylee would have another grandmother in her life. She always wanted the very best for Haylee.

"Thank-you, I appreciate it. Haylee is taking a nap right now, but maybe you could give me your phone number, and we can meet for lunch tomorrow or something?" Alex inquired as she pulled out her phone. She unlocked it and passed it over to Lila to put her number in.

"That sounds lovely, Alex. I look forward to hearing from you and of course to meeting my sweet grandbaby," Lila replied as she handed the phone back to Alex and stood up. Alex stood up as well and walked Lila to the door. Once there, Lila surprised her by giving her a hug.

"Thank-you so much, Alex. You have no idea what this means to me. You are a lovely young woman, and I am so glad I came here today," Lila said to Alex in a sincere voice as she pulled out of the hug. Alex smiled at Lila.

"I'm glad you came too, and I'm glad that you want to be in Haylee's life. I will call you later when I get everything figured out, okay?" Alex asked as she opened the door. Lila nodded and stepped out of the house. After waving goodbye, Alex shut the door and headed back into the living room. She was genuinely glad that Lila had come by. Everything in her life seemed to be on the right track, and she was so grateful that she didn't feel lost or broken anymore.

_Later that night…._

After Haylee awoke from her nap, she spent the rest of the afternoon curled up next to Alex while she read to her. Alex called Nate right after Lila left, and the two decided that they would study together the following day. He did come over for dinner, though, which Haylee loved. Haylee had been over-using the word "daddy," but it was only because she was so excited she finally had a daddy. Alex had to admit that she was excited too. Nate would be the perfect daddy for Haylee.

After eating dinner and giving Haylee a bath, Alex was ready to tuck Haylee in to bed.

"I had such a fun day with you today, sweetness," Alex said as she squatted down next to Haylee's bed and pulled the cover up to her chin. Haylee smiled at her mother.

"I had a fun day too, Mommy!" Haylee announced, making Alex grin. She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Haylee's nose, giggling when Haylee scrunched her nose up.

"I'm happy that I have a daddy now," Haylee said in a soft voice to Alex after letting out a yawn. Alex smiled lovingly at her daughter.

"I'm happy too, my Haybear," she replied, brushing a hair out of Haylee's face. She watched as Haylee's eyelids grew heavier and heavier. "Are you going to have the sweetest dreams tonight?" Alex asked, and Haylee nodded happily.

"Yes, Mommy," Haylee promised, letting out another yawn. Alex leaned over and kissed Haylee's nose once more before standing up.

"I love you, my sweet Haylee Elle," Alex said to Haylee as she walked to the door.

"I love you too, Mommy," Alex heard the small voice say to her. She was about to turn out the light and leave the room when the voice stopped her. "Can Daddy come say goodnight too?" Haylee asked, warming Alex's heart with her words.

"Of course, baby. I will go get him," Alex promised. She then left Haylee's room and walked down the hallway to her own room. Nate was lounged on her bed looking through the latest book she had been reading. He smiled when she entered the room.

"Is Haylee asleep?" he asked as Alex sat down next to him on the bed. Alex grinned at him.

"She will be soon, but she wants her daddy to go say goodnight to her too," Alex replied, loving the way Nate's entire face lit up at her words. He quickly stood up and walked down the hall to Haylee's room. Alex got up and followed quietly, being careful to make sure that he didn't hear her. She leaned against Haylee's doorframe and watched the scene in front of her with a smile and a full heart.

"Hey, princess. Did you have a good day today?" Nate asked as he took Alex's earlier position of squatting down next to Haylee's bed. Haylee smiled at her daddy and nodded her head.

"Yes, Daddy. I'm happy that I have a daddy now too," Haylee said to Nate, causing his smile to grow.

"I'm happy to be your daddy, Haylee," Nate replied truthfully. And, he honestly was happy he had agreed to be Haylee's daddy. He had never felt as much love in his entire life than when he did when Haylee called him Daddy. It was as if he was on cloud nine, and Haylee and Alex had put him there.

Nate watched as Haylee let out a big yawn and blinked her eyes a few times. He chuckled and kissed the little girl's forehead.

"Goodnight, princess. Daddy loves you very much," Nate said to the little girl as he stood up to head out of the room. He had just turned the light out when he heard the small voice say to him, "I love you too, Daddy."

Nate couldn't keep the smile off his face as he left Haylee's room and joined Alex in the hallway.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Being a parent?" Alex asked as she took Nate's hand into her own and began walking down the stairs with him. She watched as Nate nodded his head, a look of wonder and amazement on his face.

"I've never felt anything better," Nate replied in a voice full of awe. The two reached the bottom of the stairs, and Alex led them out the back door to the backyard. She took a seat on the porch swing, and Nate sat down next to her. She scooted closer to him and laid her head against his chest. He took her hand into his own and began rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb. Alex couldn't think of a moment that had been more perfect.

Alex and Nate swung softly on the porch swing, exchanging no words. No words were needed because the moment was perfect on its own. Both felt happier than they had been in the longest time, and they each had the other to blame for that, and Haylee too, of course.

Alex thought back to just a year ago, when she and Nate spent each day fighting and nobody aside from her family and Mitchie knew about Haylee. She then thought about where they were now and how far they'd come since then. She'd learned to love Nate again, and she even fell in love with him, even if she hadn't realized that she was falling in love as it was happening. She thought about all the times Nate had saved her over the past year, and she felt safe knowing that he would continue to save her for the rest of their lives. When she was with Nate, she felt as though nothing bad could happen to her. He was her hero, and she felt so blessed to have him in her life.

Nate began thinking back over the past year as well. He hated thinking about how he'd treated Alex back when they spent their days fighting, but he forgave himself for that because he knew it was over now. Even then, when all he did was say mean things to her, he was falling in love with her. He just didn't realize it until after they'd become best friends again. Then again, he always knew he loved Alex, ever since they were Haylee's age. He'd known it the entire time, he just never admitted it to himself. Now that he had, and Alex had told him that she loved him too, he felt like life couldn't get any better. He wanted to stay locked in time with Alex and Haylee forever. Although his strong feelings scared him a little bit, they were also everything he'd ever wanted. He loved Alex and Haylee more than life itself, however cliché that was, and he planned to spend every moment of every day proving to them just how much he loved them.

Both Alex and Nate watched the stars ahead of them twinkle against the dark sky. Alex squeezed Nate's hand.

"I love you, Nate," she said to him in a soft voice. He smiled contentedly and began rubbing her hand again.

"I love you too, Allie. I always will," he promised, and he intended to keep that promise.

Despite the fact that the two started out as different as fire and ice, they also needed each other. Alex needed Nate when she was acting too strongly and needed to cool down, and Nate needed Alex when he was acting passionately enough. Even though fire and ice were opposites, they also worked together to create peace and happiness. Neither Nate nor Alex had ever felt happier than they did in that moment, and they had the other to blame for that.

**Andddddd, that's it! I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter of Fire and Ice. I worked really hard to make this special for you guys, so I hope it was the best one yet! **

**I want to thank you all again for encouraging me and supporting me throughout this entire story. Y'all have meant the world to me, and you are all so so special to me. I love y'all to the moon and back, and I appreciate everything you have done for me. This is not the end of my writing career, just the end of a story. **

**I love you all more than you could ever possibly understand.**

**Please review and let me know if you enjoyed this last episode! Also, if you have any ideas on what you would like to see happen in the epilogue, let me know!**

**Thank-you all again. Stay beautiful and perfect.**

**Xoxo – Jordan.**


End file.
